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JOHN AND BETTY'S 
HISTORY VISIT 



Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
in 2011 witin funding from 
Tine Library of Congress 



littp://www.arcliive.org/details/jolinbettysliistorOOwill 




They suddenly saw the tremendous cathedkal looming 
UP BEFORE THEM. — Page 70. 



JOHN AND BETTY'S 
HISTORY VISIT 



BY 



MARGARET WILLIAMSON 



ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS 




BOSTON 
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 



Published, March, 1910 

3r ^ 



^ 






Copyright, 1910, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 

Ail nghts reserved 

John and Betty's History Visit 



Berwick & Smith Co. 

Norwood, Mass. 

U. S. A. 



(gCl A3597&0 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTEB PAGE 

I. First Impressions 9 

II. The First Evening 15 

III. Westminster Abbey 20 

IV. Penshurst Place : the Home of Sir Philip 

Sidney 37 

V. The Tower of London 50 

VI. St. Paul's Cathedral and Its Vicinity . 65 

VII. A Sunday Night Chat .... 83 
VIII. Windsor Castle, Stoke Poges, and Eton 

School ........ 94 

IX. More About London 107 

X. Richmond and Hampton Court Palace . 122 

XL Stratford-on-Avon 138 

XII. A Day in Warwickshire .... 161 

XIII. Warwick and Kenilworth Castles . . 181 

XIV. Sherwood Forest and Haddon Hall . . 203 
XV. Winchester, Salisbury, and Stonehenge 222 

XVI. Clovelly 238 

XVII. Rochester and Canterbury .... 251 

XVIII. GooD-BY TO London 273 

Index 289 

5 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

They suddenly saw the tremendous cathedral 
LOOMING UP BEFORE THEM {Page 70) . . Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 
"Oh, what's THIS PLACE? I AM SURE I HAVE SEEN 

PICTURES OF IT ! " 12 

"Do YOU REMEMBER THOSE QUAINT LITTLE VERSES 

ABOUT 'Bow Bells'?" 16 

" I only wish I could be A Guard and ride a horse 
LIKE one of those ! " 20 

" There's the Abbey right ahead of us " . . . 26 
" What's the use op having so many doors? " . . 40 
" This seems to speak of peace, happiness, and 

safety" 44 

" i want to see who those fellows in the funny 

red uniforms are " .50 

" The King cannot proceed into the ' City ' with- 
out BEING FIRST RECEIVED AT TeMPLE BAR BY THE 

Lord Mayor " 68 

"I'd feel like 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' going 
around with those clothes on ! " . . . . 84 

" You REMEMBER, DOn't YOU, HAVING THE GUIDE POINT 

OUT London Bridge?" 88 

The MOSS-GROWN Saxon porch ..... 96 

7 



8 ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACINQ 
FAGE 

John Milton lived there after he fled prom 

London 106 

"Oh, here's the old Coronation Chair, isn't it?" 114 ~ 
" Every time I visit this palace I marvel at the 

AMOUNT OF history WITH WHICH IT IS CON- 
NECTED " 136 

" Why, I didn't suppose it was as big as that ! " . 140 

"Did Anne truly live here?" 164 

" They know how important they are, and that 
this garden wouldn't be complete without 
them" 184 

"It still seems alive with memories of the fair 
Dorothy Vernon" . . . . . . . 218 

" There still remains the question op how these 
tremendous stones were brought here " . . 236 

One of plaster and thatch, overgrown with 

ROSES 240 

"You'll find nothing at all like this strange 
little Clovelly" 250 

" William op Sens, in 1184, finished the building 
WHICH we now see " 264 

Old gentlemen, stout ladies, young people, and 

small children, all ride in England . . . 286 V 



CHAPTER ONE 

PmST IMPEESSIONS 

Two eager young Americans sat, one on each 
side of the window of an English train, speed- 
ing towards London. They had landed only 
that morning, and everything seemed very 
strange to them, as they watched the pretty 
scenes from the car- window. The lady who had 
met them at the steamer, was an old friend of 
the family, who had often been to America, and 
was well known to the children, though they 
had never seen her son and daughter, whom they 
had come to visit. Mrs. Pitt soon aroused them 
by saying :— 

" Come, John, we are almost there, so 
please fetch down Betty's wraps from the 
rack. Here are your umbrellas ; you may take 
Betty's bag and I'll take yours. Yes, it is 
really England, and soon we'll be in London, 
where Philip and Barbara are very impatiently 
waiting to meet the American friends with 

9 



10 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

whom they have been exchanging letters for so 
long. They have been studying history hard, 
and have learned all they possibly could about 
their own country, which they love, and want 
you to know, too. They have never seen very 
much of England, and this is an excellent chance 
for them to do some sight-seeing with you. I 
think you'll have a jolly time seeing all the 
strange sights and customs, and visiting some 
historic places. Now, you must not expect to 
find Philip and Barbara just like your friends 
at home; English children dress very differ- 
ently, and may use some expressions which you 
do not exactly understand, but you'll soon be- 
come accustomed to them all. Here we are at 
Waterloo Station." 

As the guard swung open the door, two im- 
patient young people hurried up to the party. 

' ' Here we are, Mother ; did they come ? ' ' 

John and Betty shyly shook hands with their 
English friends, but did not find anything to 
say, just at first. Mrs. Pitt went to the luggage- 
van, to find the children's trunks, and the others 
followed. 

" Aren't the trains funny, John? " said 
Betty, nervously holding her brother's hand. 



FIRST IMPRESSIONS ii 

** See, this is the baggage part of the car, but 
isn't it small! " 

'^ Oh, there are several on each train," ex- 
plained Philip. " Are your vans any bigger? " 

^' There are our trunks, Mrs. Pitt," called 
John. '^ I know them by the C's we pasted 
on the ends." 

'^ Here, porter, put this luggage on a four- 
wheeler, please, ' ' and Mrs. Pitt and her charges 
crowded in, the luggage was piled on top, and 
they drove away. 

' ' Do you think you will like London 1 ' ' asked 
Barbara of Betty, rather anxiously. 

Betty ventured to answer, '' Oh, I think so, 
only it is very different from New York. ' ' 

It certainly was! Great, top-heavy buses 
swung and lurched past them, some of them 
drawn by splendid horses, but still more with 
motors. The outsides of the vehicles were cov- 
ered with all sorts of gay advertisements and 
signs, in bright and vivid colors; in this way, 
and in their tremendous numbers, they differ 
from the New York buses on Fifth Avenue. 

' ' To-night, we will take you out for a ride on 
top of a bus if you like, John," said Philip. 

John, losing his shyness, began to ask ques- 



1 2 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

tions, and to give his opinion of the things he 
saw. 

*' I think the buses are great! I shall al- 
ways choose that seat just behind the driver, 
where I can talk to him. He must have fine 
stories to tell, doesn't he, Philip? I like the 
hansoms, too. There really seem to be more 
hansoms than anything else in London! Just 
look, Betty, at that long row there in the middle 
of the street! I suppose they are waiting for 
passengers. And there's a line of ' taxis,' too. 
My, but these streets are crowded ! Fifth Ave- 
nue isn't in it! " 

Philip and Barbara looked at each other and 
smiled. All the sights which were so familiar 
to them, seemed very novel to their American 
visitors. 

' ' I suppose it would be just the same to us, if 
we were to visit New York," said Barbara. 
'' Those bus-horses, which you admire, do look 
very fine at first, but the work is so hard on 
them, that they only last a very short time. 
Their days are about over now, for soon we 
shall have only the motor-buses. ' ' 

" Oh, what's this place? " cried John ex- 
citedly. ' ' I am sure I have seen pictures of it ! 



FIRST IMPRESSIONS 13 

Why, Philip, I think you once sent me some 
post-cards which showed this! " 

" Oh, yes, this is Trafalgar Square," broke 
in Mrs. Pitt. '' People sometimes call it the 
center of all London. Here is the celebrated 
statue of Lord Nelson — ^here, in the middle ; see 
all the flower-girls, with their baskets, around 
its foot. That large building, with the pillars, 
is the National Gallery, where I may take you 
to see the pictures. The church near it they call 
St. Martin 's-in-the-Fields. Yes, it doesn't seem 
a very appropriate name now, but once it really 
was ' in the fields,' it has stood here so long. 
Do you notice all the streets leading out from 
this great square? That way is the direction 
of the Strand and Fleet Street; Westminster 
Abbey is not far away; and you can see the 
towers of the Houses of Parliament — just there. 
You will soon grow more familiar with all this. 
Now, we must go this way, and before long, we 
shall be at home. I think you'll be glad to rest 
after your tiresome journey. This is Regent 
Street, where many of the shops are. Aren't 
they attractive? " 

'^ Yes," said John, '' but how very low the 
buildings are ! As far as I can see they are all 



14 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

of the same height. They are almost all yellow, 
too, and with the bright buses the scene is very 
gay." 

They rode along for some time, the silence be- 
ing often broken by exclamations and questions. 
John and Betty could not understand how peo- 
ple avoided being run over when they all dashed 
across the street, right under the very noses of 
the horses. It was amusing to see people stum- 
bling up the narrow, winding stairs of the buses, 
as they jolted along, and even the signs over the 
shops attracted some attention. They won- 
dered if the King and Queen could shop in 
them all, for so many bore the words, ' ' Jewelers 
to T. E. M.," or *' Stationers to Their Royal 
Majesties." London seemed very large to 
them on this first drive — ^very strange and for- 
eign, and they were glad when the cab drew up 
before a big house in a spacious square, and the 
rest cried, " Here we are at home! " 



CHAPTER TWO 



THE riKST EVENING 



The big library at Mrs. Pitt's home was a 
fascinating place, the two visitors thought. 
The ceiling was high, the wainscoting was of 
dark wood, and the walls were almost entirely- 
lined with book-cases. John was delighted with 
some little steps, which you could push around 
and climb up on to reach the highest shelves. 
This room suggested great possibilities to both 
the young visitors, for, as they were to stay 
many months, there would certainly be days 
when it would be too wet to go out, and they 
could by no means entirely give up their 
reading. 

As they had felt rather chilly on their bus- 
ride that evening, the four young people all 
came into the library upon their return, and 
drew their chairs up to the tiny grate. Betty 
and John had greatly enjoyed this new experi- 
ence, for they had been truly English. Having 

15 



1 6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

jumped aboard while the bus was moving slowly, 
near the curb, they had scrambled up the little 
steps and taken the seats behind the driver. 
They had not noticed much about where they 
were going, for it had all seemed a jumble of 
many lights, crowds of people, and noise. But 
John had slipped a coin into the driver's hand, 
and there had been a steady stream of stories 
from that moment. London bus-drivers have 
plenty to tell, and are not at all loath to tell it — 
especially after the encouragement of a tip. 
John was delighted to hear about the time, one 
foggy Christmas Eve, when his friend had ' ' sat 
for four hours, sir, without daring to stir, at 
'Yde Park Corner." John envied him the 
splendid moment when the fog had finally lifted 
and disclosed the great mass of traffic, which 
had been blinded and stalled for so long. 

As John stood in front of the fire thinking 
it all over, he suddenly exclaimed, ' ' It was fun 
to hear that driver drop his h's; that was real 
Cockney for you ! ' ' 

Betty looked puzzled for a moment, and then 
said, " Wasn't it supposed that only people who 
had been born within the sound of the bells of 
old Bow Church could be real Cockneys? " 




"Do YOU REMEMBER THOSE QUAINT LITTLE VERSES ABOUT 

Bow Bells?" — Page 17. 



THE FIRST EVENING 17 

" Tliat's right, Betty; your history is good," 
said Mrs. Pitt, who had just entered; " but 
John, I must tell you that dropping h's is not 
necessarily Cockney. The peculiar pronuncia- 
tion of vowels is what characterizes a true Cock- 
ney's speech, but many others drop h's — the 
people of Shropshire for instance. 

'* Do you children remember those quaint lit- 
tle verses about Bow Bells? " continued Mrs. 
Pitt. ' ' In the days when Dick Whittington was 
a boy, and worked at his trade in London, it was 
the custom to ring Bow Bells as the signal for 
the end of the day's work, at eight o'clock in the 
evening. One time, the boys found that the 
clerk was ringing the bells too late, and in- 
dignant at such a thing, they sent the following 
verses to him : 

" ' Gierke of the Bow Bells, 
With the yellow loekes, 
For thy late ringitig, 
Thou shalt have knoekes.' 

'' The frightened man hastened to send this 

answer to the boys: 

" ' Children of Chepe, 
Hold you all stille, 
For you shall have Bow Bells 
Rung at your wille.' " 



1 8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

" That was bright of them," commented 
John, as he rose to take off his coat. 

Philip and Barbara had long since thrown off 
their wraps and pulled their chairs away from 
the fire, saying how warm they were. Even 
after John had dispensed with his coat, Betty 
sat just as near the tiny blaze as she could, with 
her coat still closely buttoned. 

" No, thanks; I want to get warm," she an- 
swered, when they spoke of it. " It seems to 
me that it's very cold here. Don't you ever 
have bigger fires? " 

As Betty spoke, the little blaze flickered and 
almost went out. 

" I'll shut the window," said Philip. '' I re- 
member, now, how cold Americans always are 
over here. Mother has told us how frightfully 
hot you keep your houses. We don't like that, 
for we never feel the cold. Why, just to show 
you how accustomed to it we English are, let 
me tell you what I read the other day. At Ox- 
ford University, up to the time of King Henry 
Vni, no fires were permitted. Just before go- 
ing to bed the poor boys used to go out and run 
a certain distance, to warm themselves. Even 
I shouldn't care for that! " 



THE FIRST EVENING 19 

^'' Let's make some plans for to-morrow," ex- 
claimed Mrs. Pitt. '' Wliat should you like to 
see first, Betty? " 

' ' I want to go somewhere on a bus ! ' ' was 
John's prompt answer, at which everybody 
laughed except Betty. 

" Oh, yes, but let's go to "Westminster Abbey 
just as soon as possible, John. I've always 
wanted so much to see it, that I don't believe I 
can wait now. Think of all the great people 
who have been associated with it," said Betty 
very earnestly. 

' ' Very well, I quite agree on taking you first 
to the Abbey," said Mrs. Pitt. '^ It is a place 
of which I could never tire, myself. And 
strange to say, I very seldom, if ever, get time 
to go there, except when I'm showing it to 
strangers. Why! It's twenty-five minutes 
past nine this very minute, children; you must 
go to bed at once! " 



CHAPTER THREE 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 



The first tMng that Betty heard the follow- 
ing morning was a gentle knock upon her bed- 
room door, and a voice saying, '' It's seven 
o 'clock, and will you have some sticks. Miss ? ' ' 

"What sticks? What for?" Betty asked 
sleepily. 

They were for a fire, it seemed, and Betty 
welcomed the idea. She was soon dressed, and 
Barbara came to show her the way to the break- 
fast-room. 

'' You can't think how good it does seem not 
to be thrown about while dressing, as we were 
on the steamer ! Do you know that I can 't help 
stepping up high over the door-sills even yet! " 
laughed Betty, as they went downstairs to- 
gether. " Mrs. Moore, the friend of mother's 
in whose care we came, you know, told me that I 
should probably feel the motion for some time 
after landing." 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 21 

To the surprise of Jolm and Betty, there was 
a very hearty breakfast awaiting them. They 
had expected the meager tea, toast, and jam, 
which some Americans consider to be customary 
in English homes, because it is encountered in 
the hotels. 

Early in the morning, the buses were even 
more crowded than the night before, and they 
had some difficulty in finding seats. John 
placed himself beside a soldier dressed in a 
scarlet coat and funny little round cap held on 
sidewise by a strap across his chin, with every 
intention of starting up a conversation with 
him ; but one glance at his superior air discour- 
aged the boy from any such attempt. When 
they arrived at Trafalgar Square again, they 
jumped off, and walked down towards the 
towers of the Houses of Parliament. In front 
of the Horse Guards they stood in admiration of 
the two mounted sentries, stationed there. 

' ' Those black horses are great ! ' ' cried John. 
*' How fine those fellows do look sitting there 
like statues in their scarlet uniforms, and their 
shiny helmets with the flying tails to them! I 
only wish I could be a Guard, and ride a horse 
like one of those! " 



22 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

** Would you rather be a Horse Guard, or a 
bus-driver, John? " asked Betty teasingly. 

* ' Sometimes you see dozens of the Guards to- 
gether; that's a fine sight! " said Barbara, 
after the laugh had subsided. " They escort 
the King when he goes out in state. Oh, you'll 
see them often. ' ' 

That comforted John somewhat, but he could 
not resist turning around for several glances 
towards the gate- way where the Guards were. 

" Why do they always stand there? " he ques- 
tioned. 

Mrs. Pitt explained that they were organized 
by Charles II, who needed all possible protec- 
tion to enable him to hold the throne after his 
exile in foreign lands. After the days of Crom- 
well, times were very unsettled, and many dis- 
turbances were likely to occur. Hence the duty 
of these Guards was probably to keep the peace 
(the 'prentices and common people were very 
hot-headed), and to escort the King, as they 
still do. 

" Perhaps," she went on, " you don't under- 
stand who the 'prentices were. Long ago it was 
the custom to apprentice boys to one of the 
great and powerful guilds or companies. These 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 23 

were organizations of many merchants belong- 
ing to the same trade; such as shipbuilders, car- 
penters, candle-makers, and so forth. Their 
main object was to see that the work which was 
turned out was good. Every man belonged to 
his guild ; some were for ' common and middling 
folks,' while kings and princes were members 
of others. A great deal of good was done by 
these companies, for each, besides aiding and 
protecting its own members, usually had some 
other charity. For instance, the guild at Lin- 
coln fed yearly as many poor as there were mem- 
bers of the guild; and another kept a sort of 
inn for the shelter of poor travelers. The 
guilds played an important part in the life of 
the time. Well, as I was saying, when a boy 
had chosen the trade which was to his taste, he 
went to the city, and was apprenticed to a mem- 
ber of one of the guilds, with whom he usually 
lived. The boys were called 'prentices. Their 
life was not an easy one, and yet, it seems to me 
that they must have enjoyed it. In those days, 
there were great tournaments and grand pro- 
cessions of kings, with hundreds of servants 
and followers, all splendidly dressed in brilliant 
colors. Men wore magnificent clothes of silks 



24 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISFF 

and velvets and cloth-of-gold, with costly jewels, 
such as ropes of pearls; and their servants, 
whose duty it was to go before their masters on 
the street, wore suits of livery with the silver 
badge of their master. London in those days 
was a wonderfully busy place! On board the 
ships sailing up the river were men in strange 
costumes, from foreign lands. The 'prentices 
would often stop work to watch a company of 
Portuguese sailors pass, or a gorgeous pro- 
cession of bishops with their retainers; and 
from this little verse we know that they did not 
always return very quickly to their duties. Do 
you know this ? 

" ' When ther any ridings were in Chepe, 
Out of the shoppe thider would he lepe; 
And till that he had all the sight ysein, 
And danced well, he would not come again.' 

There were always processions, too, in winter 
as well as in summer, for the people seemed not 
to mind rain or storm in the least. The boys 
had many holidays, — there were frequent 
pageants, feasts, and celebrations of all kmds, — 
and on the whole, I think they must have been 
very happy in spite of the long hours of work, 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 25 

don't you? Another curious custom was the 
keeping of cudgels in every shop for the use 
of the 'prentices, in case of a fight — and I 
imagine that they were numerous. Now, come 
close to me, children, while we cross this street ; 
there's the Abbey right ahead of us." 

As they entered the north transept of West- 
minster Abbey, the dim light, in contrast to the 
sunshine outside, was almost blinding. At first, 
all was indistinct except the great rose-window, 
in the opposite transept, through which the light 
strayed in many colors. The morning service 
was in progress, so they sat down near the door, 
and listened and looked. How beautiful I — ^how 
tremendous it all was! Even John's overflow- 
ing spirits were quieted, it was so wonderfully 
impressive! The rose-window still stood out 
clearly against the deep shadows all about it, 
but a faint light could now be seen coming in 
through the little windows, high up near the 
roof, — the clerestory windows, they are called. 
Betty could see the massive roof, the long aisles 
crowded with marble monuments, and the pil- 
lars. The canon's voice was heard intoning in 
a deep, monotonous key; reading followed, and 
then some one sang, in a high, clear voice, which 



26 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

seemed to come from far away, and yet to fill all 
tlie space of the great building. Betty could 
not have spoken a word; she was filled with a 
kind of wondering awe such as she had never 
known before. 

John, more matter-of-fact, was examining the 
statues nearest to him. 

He touched Betty's arm to attract her atten- 
tion, and said, '* See, there are lots of statues 
here, Betty, but I only know the names of 
William Pitt and Benjamin Disraeli, ' Twice 
Prime-Minister.' Do you remember him? 
Wonder if William Pitt was an ancestor of our 
Mrs. Pitt! " he rambled on, not seeing that his 
sister took no notice of him. 

As for Betty, she scarcely knew that any one 
had spoken to her. She seemed to be back in 
the Middle Ages, and the present had vanished 
away. 

When the service was ended, they walked 
about, examining the monuments as they 
went. 

" This long, broad aisle extending from the 
main entrance to the choir is called the nave," 
explained Mrs. Pitt. " The shorter aisles 
which form the crossing are the transepts, and 




•There's the Abbey right ahead of vs."—Paffe 25. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 27 

the choir is always the eastern end of the build- 
ing, containing the altar. These are facts which 
you will want to learn and remember. ' ' 

'' The kings and queens are all buried here, 
aren't they, Mrs. Pitt? " questioned John. 
^' Will they put King Edward here, too, when 
he dies? " 

' ' A great many kings and queens are buried 
here, though not all," Mrs. Pitt told them. 
*' The Eoyal Tombs are there, behind those 
gates, in the chapels which surround the choir. 
We can't go in there unless we take a guide, and 
I thought we would wait for another day to visit 
the lovely chapel of Henry VII and all the fa- 
mous tombs. I don't want you to see too much 
at one time. No, John, King Edward probably 
will not be buried here. Queen Victoria, his 
mother, lies at a place called Frogmore, near 
Windsor, and it is likely that her son will choose 
that spot, also. Here's the Poets' Corner, and 
there is at least one face which I'm sure you 
will be glad to see. This is it. ' ' 

As she spoke, the party stopped in front of 
the well-known bust of our poet, Longfellow, 
which I suppose every American is proud to 
see. 



28 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

' ' So they read ' Hiawatha, ' even in Eng- 
land, ' ' Betty remarked. 

a Tiiere are tablets all over the floor, under 
our feet! Look, I'm standing on Dickens' 
grave this very minute! And there's ' Oh, 
Eare Ben Jonson,' right there on the wall; I've 
always heard of that. And here's Spenser, and 
Chaucer, and Browning, and Tennyson, very 
close together. Oh! It's dreadful! I don't 
want to step on them! Why, everybody who 
ever was anybody seems to be here! " gasped 
John, forgetting his grammar in his interest. 
" Here are busts of Scott (there's the man for 
me!), and Bums, Goldsmith, and Coleridge; I 
know all these names. Here's a statue of 
Shakespeare, though of course he isn't buried 
here. There's a tablet to Jenny Lind. Wasn't 
she a singer? Seems to me I've heard my 
grandpa speak of her. And, if here isn't 
Thackeray's grave — there in the floor again! 
Well! Well! " 

' ' Come over here, John, and see this, ' ' called 
Philip, pointing to a tomb on which was this 
inscription : 

Thomas Parr of ye county of Salop, born A.D. 1483. 
He lived in the reignes of ten princes, viz. — King Edward 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 29 

IV, King Edward V, King Richard III, King Henry VII, 
King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen 
Elizabeth, King James, and King Charles; aged 152 years, 
and was buryed here, 1635. 



*' Well, that beats them all! " laughed John, 
who was greatly pleased. 

Mrs. Pitt now led the rest into the little chapel 
of St. Faith, off the south transept, where they 
sat down to rest. 

*' It's the most wonderful place I ever 
dreamed of ! " said Betty quietly, as though she 
were talking to herself. ^' This little chapel is 
the quaintest, oldest thing I ever saw! The 
walls are so dark; that tiny window up so high, 
hardly lets in any light at all; and the altar, 
with the faded picture, is so strange! I can't 
believe it is the twentieth century; the people 
in the Abbey now don't seem real to me at all. 
They look so small and shadowy beside the huge 
statues of people of other days! Surely the 
people the statues represent belong here, and 
not we ! Why, I feel so far back in history that 
I shouldn't be in the least surprised to see Ea- 
leigh, or Chaucer, or Queen Elizabeth, walk into 
this chapel, right now! I should probably go 



so JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

up and say ' How do you do? ' " she added 
laughingly. 

Betty did not know that any one had heard her 
talking, but Mrs. Pitt had been listening, and 
when Betty was silent, she said : 

'^ Come, let's go out into the sunshine of the 
cloisters now, I am really afraid to have Betty 
stay in here any longer! The first thing we 
know, she'll be disappearing into the Middle 
Ages! She's almost there now! " 

As they went through the low door into the 
cloisters, she continued, '' I want to explain to 
you children, that in connection with this Ab- 
bey, as with all, there was for centuries a 
great monastery; and that the buildings which 
we shall see, as well as the cloisters, had to do 
with the monks. Henry VIII dissolved all the 
monasteries in England, you remember." 

The ancient cloisters of Westminster Abbey 
are deeply interesting and impressive. They 
are four arcades built around the square grass- 
plot, which was the monks' burial-ground. The 
fine tracery of the windows is now much broken, 
and is crumbling away with age, but its exquisite 
carving is still plainly seen. The original pave- 
ment yet remains; it is much worn by the feet of 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 31 

the monks, and is almost covered by tablets 
which mark the resting-places of the abbots, as 
well as of others. The members of our party 
were touched, as are all, by the pathetic sim- 
plicity of the epitaph: '* Jane Lister, Dear 
Childe, 1688. ' ' Those four short words suggest 
a sad story about which one would like to learn 
more. 

*' You must know," said Mrs. Pitt, " that the 
cloisters were something besides burial-places. 
Here the monks spent most of their time, for 
this was the center of the life of the monastery. 
The southern cloister, over opposite, was the 
lavatory, and there the monks were forced to 
have their heads shaved, — every two weeks in 
summer, and every three in winter. These 
walls were then painted with frescoes, the floor 
and benches were covered with rushes or straw, 
the windows were partly glazed, and lamps hung 
from the ceiling. In one of the cloisters was 
held a class of novices, taught by a master, and 
this was the beginning of Westminster School. 
I believe the pupils were allowed to speak only 
French. How would you like that? " 

Adjoining the cloisters are numerous little 
passageways, with low arches, which lead into 



32 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

tiny courts dotted with flowers and little 
fountains. In the houses about, live the canons 
of the Abbey and others connected with the 
church. Lovely glimpses of sunlight and the 
bright colors of flowers are seen at the ends of 
these dark, ancient passages. 

Westminster School may also be reached from 
the cloisters. Our party stood a moment in the 
doorway of the schoolroom to see the splendid 
old hall, with its fine oaken roof. This was once 
the dormitory of the monks, but is now taken up 
with the boys' " forms," or desks, piled with 
books. The walls above the wainscoting, and 
the window-recesses, are covered with signa- 
tures of the scholars, — some of them famous, for 
the school was begun as long ago as the time of 
Henry VIII, who was the founder. The visitor 
may see the name of the poet, Dryden, on one 
of the desks ; he was a pupil there, as were also 
Sir Christopher Wren, the architect; Ben Jon- 
son; Southey, the poet; and John and Charles 
Wesley. 

*' What is that iron bar for? " questioned the 
curious John, pointing to a long bar which 
stretches from wall to wall, across the middle of 
the room. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 33 

" Tiiat divides the Upper and Lower 
Classes," was the prompt reply of Mrs. Pitt, 
whose stock of knowledge seemed endless. ' ' At 
one time, a curtain was hmig over that bar. 
Don't you know the story which is told in the 
' Spectator Papers,' about the boy who acci- 
dentally tore a hole in this curtain? He was a 
timid little fellow, and was terrified at the 
thought of the punishment which he felt sure 
would be his. One of his classmates came to 
the rescue, saying that he would take the blame 
upon himself, which he did. It was years later, 
when the timid boy had become a great judge, 
that the Civil War broke out, and he and his 
friend took opposite sides. The kind man who 
had saved his friend from punishment was a 
Eoyalist, and was captured and imprisoned at 
Exeter, where the other man happened to come 
at the same time, with the Circuit Court. At 
the moment when nothing remained but to 
sentence the ' rebels,' the judge recognized his 
friend, and by making a very hurried trip to 
London, he was able to secure a pardon from 
Cromwell, and thus succeeded in saving the 
man's life." 

'' That was fine! " said John. '' He did pay 



34 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Tiim back after all, didn't he? I thought he 
wasn't going to." 

'' Now, we will just look into the Chapter 
House and the old Jerusalem Chamber, before 
we go," said Mrs. Pitt, as they left the school. 

The Chapter House is a beautiful, eight-sided 
room, dating from the thirteenth century. 
Here the business of the monastery was always 
conducted, and at the meetings which camie 
every week, the monks were allowed to speak 
freely, and to make complaints, if they wished. 
Here also the monks were punished. 

* ' They used to whip them against that central 
pillar, there, ' ' the guard explained. ' ' Here sat 
the abbot, opposite the door, and the monks sat 
on benches ranged around the room. Parlia- 
ment met here for many years, too, its last ses- 
sion in this room being on the day that the great 
King Hal died." 

The Chapter House has been restored now, 
and the windows are of modem stained-glass. 
In the cases are preserved some valuable docu- 
ments, the oldest being a grant of land, made 
by King Offa, in 785. 

To reach the Jerusalem Chamber, it is neces- 
sary to go through a part of the cloisters, and 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 35 

into the court of the Deanery. On one side is 
the old abbot's refectory, or dining-hall, where 
the Westminster school-boys now dine. John 
went boldly np the steps and entered. After a 
few minutes, he came running out again, ex- 
claiming : 

* ' Nobody stopped me, so I went right in, and 
looked around. A maid was setting the tables, 
and I noticed that she stared at me, but she 
didn't say anything, so I stayed. The hall is 
great! It isn't very large, but is paneled and 
hung with portraits. The old tables, a notice 
says, are made from wood taken from one of the 
vessels of the Spanish Armada. Wonder how 
they found it and brought it here ! I was just 
going to ask the maid, when a savage-looking 
man appeared and said I had no business there. 
So I came away. I don't care; I saw it, any- 
way! " he added, as they approached the en- 
trance of the Jerusalem Chamber. 

All three sides of this little court were the 
abbot's lodgings, and are now the deanery. 
The Jerusalem Chamber was built about 1376, 
as a guest-chamber for the abbot's house. 

" The name is curious, isn't it? " remarked 
Mrs. Pitt. '* It probably came from some 



36 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

tapestries which formerly hung there, repre- 
senting the history of Jerusalem. It was in this 
room, right here in front of the fireplace, accord- 
ing to tradition, that Henry IV died. A strange 
dream had told the King that he would die in 
Jerusalem, and he was actually preparing for 
the journey there, when he was taken very ill, 
and they carried him into this room. When he 
asked where they had brought him, and the re- 
ply was, ' To the Jerusalem Chamber,' he died 
satisfied. Many bodies have lain here in state, 
too, — among them, that of Joseph Addison, 
whom they afterwards buried in the Abbey. 
When we come again, I will show you his grave. 
Now, notice the bits of ancient stained-glass in 
the windows, and the cedar paneling; except 
for that, there is nothing specially noteworthy 
here. ' ' 

As they left the Dean's Yard and crossed the 
open space in front of the great western towers 
of the Abbey, John and Betty agreed that if 
they could see nothing more in England, they 
were already repaid for their long journey 
across the ocean. 



CHAPTER FOUR 

PENSHUKST PLACE : THE HOME OF SHI PHHilP SIDNEY 

In" Charing Cross Station one morning, Mrs. 
Pitt hurried up to the " booking-office," as the 
English call the ticket-office, to " book " five 
tickets to Penshurst. While the man was get- 
ting her change, she turned and said to Philip : — 

' ' Please ask that guard who is standing there, 
on which platform we shall find the 9.40 train 
for Penshurst." 

Philip did so, and returned with the informa- 
tion that they should go to Platform 8. ' So they 
all mounted the steps and walked over the foot- 
bridge which always runs across and above all 
the tracks, in an English station. There was a 
bench on the platform, and they sat down to 
await the arrival of the train. About 9.35, five 
minutes before the train was to start, John hap- 
pened to see a train official sauntering by, and 
asked him if it was correct that the Penshurst 
train left from that platform. 

37 



38 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

The man stared. ' ' Eeally, you are quite mis- 
taken," lie drawled; '' that train leaves from 
Platform 2. You had better hurry, you know; 
you haven't much time." 

John waited for nothing more, but ran to tell 
the rest, and they all started for the other end 
of the station. Up the steep steps again ran 
Mrs. Pitt, with the four young people following. 
Along the bridge they flew till they reached 
Platform 2, and then they almost fell down the 
steps in their hurry, for the train was already 
there. 

When they were fairly seated in a third- 
class carriage, John, still out of breath, ex- 
claimed : — 

* ' Whew ! My ! I never ran faster in my 
life, did you, Philip ? How the girls kept up, I 
don't know! You're a first-class sprinter all 
right, Mrs. Pitt ! We'd like you on our football 
team, at home ! My, but I'm hot ! " 

He paused for breath, and then went on ex- 
citedly : 

< i There was a close call for you ! We 'd have 
lost it if I hadn't spoken to that guard, just in 
fun ! There we were calmly waiting, and all of 
a sudden, we took that wild dash across the 



PENSHURST PLACE 39 

bridge! It was great! I hope somebody 
caught a photograph of us ! I'd like to see one ! 
How stupid of the guard to make that mistake ! 
They never seem to know very much, anyway. 
If I ever am a guard, I shall be different ; I shall 
know things! " 

They all had a good laugh over the adventure, 
and Mrs. Pitt assured John that when he was a 
guard, they would all promise to use his station. 

'' Don't these trains seem different from ours, 
Betty? " the future guard asked of his sister. 
'' It seems so queer to me why they want to 
take a perfectly good, long car, and chop it up 
from side to side, into little narrow rooms, like 
this ! What's the use of having so many doors ? 
— one on each side of every ' compartment ' ! 
And then, they put handles only on the outside, 
so you have to let down the window and lean 
away out to open it for yourself, if the guard 
doesn't happen to do it for you! We Amer- 
icans couldn't wa,ste so much time! " 

Just then, Betty, who could contain herself 
no longer, burst out laughing. 

<< Why, what in the world's the matter? " 
cried Barbara. 

Betty could only point to a passing train. 



40 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

" It's only the funny little freight cars! " she 
finally explaiaed, rather ashamed that she had 
let her feelings escape in that way. '' They 
look so silly to us ! They seem about a third 
the size of the ones at home. Really, these re- 
mind me of a picture in my history-book, of the 
first train ever run in America ! ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt smiled. ^' Yes, I can imagine just 
how strange they must seem to you, for I re- 
member very well how I felt the first time I 
ever rode in one of your trains. To me, one 
of the most interesting things about visiting a 
foreign country, is to see the different modes of 
travel. ' ' 

*' Oh, please understand that I think so, too ! " 
urged Betty. ' ' It was only that I couldn't help 
laughing just at first, you see. I wouldn't have 
your trains just like ours for anything, and I'm 
sure that John wouldn't either." 

" Now," said Mrs. Pitt, '' there is a little 
confession which I feel that I ought to make. 
It's about where we are going to-day. Prob- 
ably most people would blame me for not tak- 
ing you to Windsor or Hampton Court, on your 
first trip out of town. Both those places are 
charmiug, but I wanted to show you, first of all, 



PENSHURST PLACE 41 

this dear little corner of Kent. All tourists 
flock to Windsor and Hampton Court, but a 
great many do not know about this tiny, out- 
of-the-way village, with which I fell in love 
years ago. Penshurst Place was the home of 
Sir Philip Sidney, and is still owned by a mem- 
ber of the same family. You know that Sir 
Philip lived in Queen Elizabeth's time, and that 
his name stands for the model of a perfect 
courtier and ideal gentleman. He died when he 
was very young — only thirty-two, I think — and 
he did very little which you would suppose could 
have made him so famous. That is, it was little 
in comparison with what Ealeigh and Drake ac- 
complished, and yet the name of Sidney ranks 
with all the rest. It seems to have been more 
in the way he did things, than in what he did. 
Of course, you remember the story of his death, 
— that when he was dying, he passed a cup of 
water which was brought him, to another dying 
soldier, saying, ' Thy need is greater than mine. ' 
Well, to-day we shall see where he was born and 
bred, — ^where Ben Jonson, Edmund Spenser, 
and Queen Elizabeth all visited. ' ' 

They were now riding through Kent, in which 
county is some of the most picturesque Eng- 



42 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

lish scenery. Although it was only the last 
of April, the grass was the freshest green, the 
great trees were in full leaf, and primroses 
were beginning to spring up in the fields. They 
sped through little villages of thatched-roofed 
cottages, each with its tiny garden of gay 
flowers. There were little crooked lanes, bor- 
dered by high hedges, and wide, shady roads, 
with tall, stately elms on either side, and fields 
where sheep grazed. 

" Oh, there's a cottage which looks like Anne 
Hathaway 's! " exclaimed Betty. '' It couldn't 
be, could it? Anyway, it's real story-book 
country! " 

They left the train at the little station of 
Penshurst, two miles from the village. Behind 
the building stood a queer, side-seated wagon, 
with one stout horse. The driver, when Philip 
found him, seemed loath to bestir himself, but 
was finally persuaded to drive them to the 
castle. 

Penshurst village proved to be even prettier 
than those they had seen from the train. The 
Lord of Penshurst Place is a very wise, appre- 
ciative man, and he has made a rule that when 
any cottage in the village is found to be beyond 



PENSHURST PLACE 43 

repair, it sliall be replaced by a new liouse ex- 
actly like the original. In consequence, the 
houses look equally old and equally attractive, 
with their roofs of grayish thatch, and the sec- 
ond stories leaning protectingly over the lower 
windows, overgrown with rose-vines. 

Mrs. Pitt went into the tiny post-office to buy 
their tickets of admission to the castle, and when 
she called out that there were also pretty post- 
cards to be had, the others quickly followed. 
Having chosen their cards, they all walked 
through the little church-yard, with its ancient 
yew trees, and out into a field from which they 
could see Penshurst Place itself. 

<< Why! isn't it a huge place! " cried Bar- 
bara. ^' This is just as new to Philip and me, 
you know, Betty, for we have never been here, 
either. ' ' 

' ' How charmingly situated it is ! " exclaimed 
Mrs. Pitt enthusiastically. " Just a glance at 
it would tell you that it was never a strong 
fortress. Like Raby Castle, another favorite of 
mine, I believe that Penshurst never stood a 
siege. But it is so stately and graceful, stand- 
ing in the center of these perfect lawns and 
groups of noble old trees ! It is a beautiful con- 



44 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

trast to the many fortress-castles ! This seems 
to speak of peace, happiness, and safety. ' ' 

The castle covers a great deal of ground, and 
is low and square, with here and there a turret. 
A terrace, or broad walk, runs the length of the 
front of the building, where the moat formerly 
was, and the party crossed this to reach the 
entrance-way. His Lordship came out just 
then, with his dog, and glanced kindly at the 
eager young people. Continuing, they crossed a 
square court, and came to a second gateway, 
where a servant met them and conducted them 
into the oldrtime Baronial-hall, dating from the 
fourteenth century. 

" This," announced the guide with tremen- 
dous pride, ' ' we believe to be the only banquet- 
hall now remaining in England, where the an- 
cient fireplace in the center of the room still ex- 
ists. You'll see many fine halls, but you'll not 
see another such fireplace." 

John went up to investigate, and found that 
right in the middle of the vast room was a high 
hearth, on which some logs were piled. '' But 

how ? " he was asking, when the guide's ex^ 

planations flowed on once more : 

" Yes, the smoke went out through a little 




■ This seems to speak of peace, happiness, and safety. 
Page 44. 



PENSHURST PLACE 45 

hole in tlie roof. This hall has never been re- 
stored, you see. That's the best thing about it, 
most people think, lady. Here's the oak panel- 
ing, turned gray with age ; there, up on the wall, 
are the original grotesque figures, carved in 
wood; here, are two of the old tables, as old as 
the hall; and there's the musicians' gallery, at 
that end, over the entrance. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt was leaning against one of the 
massive tables, with her eyes partly closed. 
^' Let's just imagine the grand feasts which 
have been held here," she mused. '' I can al- 
most see the Lord and Lady, dressed in purple 
and scarlet, sitting with their guests at a table 
across this end of the room. A board stretches 
down the length of the hall, and here sit the in- 
feriors and retainers. A long procession of 
servants is winding always around the tables, 
bearing great roasts, birds, pasties, and all sorts 
of goodies, on huge platters, high above their 
heads. Up in the gallery here, the musicians 
are playing loudly and gayly, and even when 
they cease the guests do not lack for entertain- 
ment, for the fool, in his dress of rainbow col- 
ors, is continually saying witty things and pro- 
pounding funny riddles. In such a place much 



46 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

elegance and ceremony were the necessary ac- 
companiments of a grand feast. In a book giv- 
ing instructions for the serving of the Royal 
table, is this direction, which always interested 
me : ' First set forth mustard with brawn ; take 
your knife in your hand, and cut the brawn in 
the dish, as it lieth, and lay on your Sovereign's 
trencher, and see that there be mustard.' As 
you see, they were exceedingly fond of mustard. 
Eichard Tarleton, an actor of Queen Elizabeth's 
time, who was much at Court as jester, is re- 
ported as having called mustard ' a witty scold 
meeting another scold.' " 

The guide was growing impatient, and Mrs. 
Pitt ceased, saying reluctantly, '' Well, I sup- 
pose we must go on." 

A servant rang a bell, and soon, down some 
stairs came a dear little old lady dressed in stiff 
black silk, with white apron and cap, and mitts 
on her hands. She escorted the party up the 
stairs, into her domain. 

" Wouldn't you just know to look at her that 
she had been in the family all her life 1 ' ' whis- 
pered Barbara to Betty. 

First they saw the Ball-room, a stately apart- 
ment in which hang three very valuable chan- 



PENSHURST PLACE 47 

deliers, whicli Queen Elizabeth gave to Sir 
Henry Sidney. The next room is still called 
'* Queen Elizabeth's Room," for here that 
Queen slept when upon a visit to the house. The 
same furniture which she used is still in place, 
as well as some tapestries made in honor of the 
visit, by Lady Sidney. 

" If Queen Elizabeth slept in that bed," re- 
marked Betty, ^' she couldn't have been very 
tall." 

Their guide, taking this as criticism of one of 
her beloved treasures, was quick to say : 

'' It only looks short, because it's so uncom- 
mon wide, begging your pardon, Miss." 

'* Did that stool belong to anybody? " ques- 
tioned Barbara, tactfully changing the subject. 
*' It looks as if it has a history." 

" And it has, Miss ; that stool was used by the 
late Queen Victoria (God bless her!), at her 
coronation at Westminster Abbey! " and the 
loyal old lady patted the black velvet stool re- 
spectfully. 

The rooms and corridors of the old house are 
crowded with things of interest. Sir Philip's 
helmet is there, and a bit of his shaving-glass. 
iu a small room called the ^' Pages' Closet," 



48 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

are preserved rare specimens of china — 
Queen Elizabeth's dessert-set, in green, and 
Queen Anne's breakfast-set, in blue and white. 
Betty and Barbara were deeply interested in 
Mary Stuart's jewel-case, and they laughed over 
a very curious old painting which shows Queen 
Elizabeth dancing. The long picture-gallery 
is lined with portraits — most of them Sid- 
neys — and among them those of the mother 
of Sir Philip, and of his sister, the Coun- 
tess of Pembroke, for whom he wrote his 
" Arcadia." 

When they again passed through the Ball- 
room on their way out, they were shown a little 
square window on one of the walls, which they 
had not noticed before. 

''Why! I can see down into the Banquet- 
hall! " exclaimed Philip, who had climbed up 
to look through. 

" Yes," said their guide, " in the olden times, 
the master at the ball could look through there 
to see how the servants were behaving, down 
in the hall below. ' ' 

Out on the lawn again, they lingered for a few 
minutes while Mrs. Pitt reminded them that 
there is every reason to believe that under those 



PENSHURST PLACE 49 

very trees Spenser wrote Ms " Shepherd's 
Calendar. ' ' 

Eeluctantly they left the castle and walked 
back to the carriage, which awaited them in the 
village. 

'^ If all English castles are as beautiful as 
Penshurst Place, ' ' declared Betty earnestly, ' ' I 
can't go back to America until I have seen every 
one! " 



CHAPTER FIVE 

THE TOWER OF LONDON 

*' I SHOULD think they'd call it * The Towers/ 
instead of ' The Tower, ' ' ' remarked Betty, sur- 
veying the curious, irregular jumble of build- 
ings before her, as they left the bus. 

" That's true," Mrs. Pitt agreed; " but I sup- 
pose the name was first given to the White 
Tower, which is the oldest part and was built 
by William the Conqueror as long ago as 1080. 
Why did they call it the White Tower! Well, 
I believe it was because they whitewashed the 
walls in the thirteenth century. Why, what's 
the matter, John? " 

*' I want to see who those fellows in the 
funny red uniforms are," John called back, as 
he ran ahead. 

When they reached the entrance, they saw 
John admiring a group of these '' fellows," who 
stood just inside the gate. In reality, they are 
old soldiers who have served the King well, and 

50 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 51 

are therefore allowed to be the keepers and 
guides of the Tower. They bear the strange 
name of '' beefeaters " (a word grown from the 
French " buffetiers "), and are very pic- 
turesque in their gorgeous scarlet uniforms, cov- 
ered with gilt trimmings and many badges, 
a style of costume which these custodians 
have worn ever since the time of Henry 
VIII, and which was designed by the painter, 
Holbein. 

Any one may pay sixpence for a ticket which 
entitles him to wander about the precincts of the 
Tower, and to see the ' ' Crown Jewels, ' ' and the 
armory, but Mrs. Pitt, being more ambitious for 
her young friends, had obtained a permit from 
the Governor of the Tower. This she pre- 
sented to the " beefeater " who stood by the 
first gateway, after they had crossed the great 
empty moat. The old man stepped to a tiny 
door behind him, opened it, disclosing a small, 
winding stair, and called ' ' Warder ! Party, 
please! " 

A venerable ' ' beefeater ' ' with white hair and 
beard came in answer to the summons, and 
bowing politely to the party, immediately 
started off with them. They set out along a 



52 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

little, narrow, paved street, lined by ancient 
buildings or high, walls. 

'' They do say h'as 'ow the Princess Eliza- 
beth, afterwards Queen, was h 'imprisoned in 
that room, up there, ' ' stated the guide, pointing 
to a small window in a wall on their left. ' ' By 
Queen Mary's h 'orders she was brought in 
through the Traitor's Gate, there. That was a 
great disgrace, you know, Miss," he said to 
Betty, " for h'all the State prisoners entered 
by there, and few of them h'ever again left the 
Tower. ' ' 

Before them some steps led down to a little 
paved court, and beyond, under a building, they 
saw the terrible Traitor's Gate, — a low, gloomy 
arch, with great wooden doors. The water 
formerly came through the arch and up to the 
steps, at which the unfortunate prisoners were 
landed. As the Princess Elizabeth stepped 
from the boat, she cried, ' ' Here landeth as true 
a subject, being a prisoner, as ever landed at 
these stairs; and before Thee, God, I speak 
it! " 

'' Isn't there a proverb, ' A loyal heart may 
be landed at Traitor's Gate '? " questioned Mrs. 
Pitt; and turning to the guide she added, 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 53 

" Wasn't it right here where we are standing 
that Margaret Eoper caught sight of her father. 
Sir Thomas More, after his trial? " As the 
guide nodded his assent, she went on, ' ' You all 
remember Sir Thomas More, of course, — the 
great and noble man whom Henry VIII be- 
headed because he would not swear allegiance to 
the King as head of the Church in England. In 
those days, an ax was always carried in the 
boat with the prisoner, on his return to the 
Tower, after the trial. If the head of the ax 
was turned toward the victim, it was a sign 
that he was condemned. It was here, as I said, 
that Margaret Eoper stood with the crowd, ea- 
gerly watching for the first glimpse of her be- 
loved father; and when he came near and she 
saw the position of the ax, she broke away 
from the soldiers, and flung herself into her 
father's arms. The two were so devoted that 
their story has always seemed an especially 
pathetic one to me. I suppose there were many 
like it, however. ' ' 

^' Indeed there were, lady," returned the 
guide, quite moved. 

Just opposite Traitor's Gate is the Bloody 
Tower, the most picturesque bit of the entire 



54 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

fortress. The old portcullis there is known as 
the only one in England which is still fit for 
use. At the side is an ancient and rusty iron 
ring, which attracted John's attention so much 
that he asked about it. 

' ' Boatmen coming through the Traitor 's Gate 
yonder, used to tie their boats to that ring, ' ' the 
* ' beefeater ' ' told them. ' ' That shows you 'ow 
much farther h'up the water came in those days. 
H'in a room over the gate-way of the Bloody 
Tower there, the Duke of Clarence, h 'according 
to some, drowned himself in a butt of Malmsey 
wine; and in h'an adjoining room, they say that 
the little Princes were murdered by h 'order of 
their uncle, the powerful Duke of Gloucester, 
who stole their right to the throne. Eight 'ere, 
at the foot of these steps, is where 'e 'urriedly 
buried them, h 'after 'is men 'ad smothered 
them. ' ' 

The children stood gazing at the little window 
over the gate-way, their eyes big with horror. 
It did not seem as though such terrible things 
could have been done there in that little room, 
into which the sun now poured through the tiny 
window. 

Every night at eleven o'clock, the warder on 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 55 

guard at the Bloody Tower diallenges the Chief 
Warder, who passes bearing the keys. Each 
time this conversation follows : — 

*' Who goes there? " 

"Keys." 

" Whose keys? " 

** King Edward Vn's keys.'' 

** Advance King Edward VII 's keys, and alPs 
well." 

Not until then, may the keys in the Chief 
Warder's care be allowed to pass on. 

Some steps just beyond lead into the Wake- 
field Tower, where the " Crown Jewels " are 
now kept. The '' beefeater " remained below, 
but Mrs. Pitt took the young people up into the 
little round room where the splendid crowns and 
other jewels are seen, behind iron bars. After 
examining minutely the objects on view, while 
leaning just as far as possible over the rail, 
John burst out with : 

'* Just look at those huge salt-cellars ! " point- 
ing to several very large gold ones. * * I should 
say that the English must be about as fond of 
salt as they are of mustard, to have wanted 
those great things! Oh, I don't care for 
these ! " he added. ' ' They are stupid, I think ! 



S6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Imagine being King Edward, and owning such 
elegant crowns, scepters, and things, and then 
letting them stay way down here at the Tower, 
where he oan't get at them ! What's the use of 
having them, I'd like to know! Oh, come on! 
I've seen enough of these ! " 

'' Wait just a minute, John," interrupted 
Betty. " See! here's Queen Victoria's crown, 
and in it is the ruby that belonged to the Black 
Prince, and which Henry V wore in his helmet 
at Agincourt ! Just think ! ' ' with a sigh. 
" Now I'll go." 

' ' Speaking of crowns, ' ' observed Mrs. Pitt, in 
passing down the stairs, ' ' have you ever heard 
about the large emerald which George III wore 
in his crown, at his coronation"? During the 
ceremony, it fell out, and superstitious people 
regarded it as a bad omen. Their fears were 
realized when that sovereign lost something 
much dearer to him than any jewel : his Amer- 
ican Colonies." 

The previously-mentioned White Tower 
stands in the center of all the other surrounding 
buildings. It is large and square, with turrets 
at the four corners, — ^an ideal old fortress. As 
they approached, the guide took out some keys 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 57 

and unlocked a door, starting down some steps 
into the darkness. ^' Oh, the dungeons!" 
gasped Betty, and she and Barbara shivered a 
little, as they followed. 

Just at the foot they halted, and the guide 
showed them some round holes in the floor. 

'' 'Ere's where they fastened down the rack. 
This 'ere's the Torture Chamber. You may 
think that being so near the entrance, the cries 
of the victims could be 'card by the people out- 
side, lady, but these walls are so thick that 
there was no possible chance of that. Ah, down 
in these parts is where we still see things, 
ladies! " 

<-<- Why, what do you mean? "whispered John, 
dreading and yet longing to hear. 

Thus encouraged, their guide continued : — 

'' Once h 'every month, it is my turn to watch 
down 'ere, during the night. Some of us don't 
like to admit it, lady, but we h'all dread that! 
Many things which 'ave never been written 
down in 'istory, 'ave 'appened in these 'ere 
passages and cells ! Ah, there are figures glide 
around 'ere in the dead 0' night, and many's 
the times I've 'eard screams, way in the 
distance, as though somebody was being 'urt! 



5 8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Now, this way, please, and I'll show you Guy 
Fawkes's cell, — 'im h'as was the originator of 
the Gunpowder Plot, and tried to blow up the 
'ouses of Parliament." 

They felt their way along the uneven floors, 
and peered into the darkness of Guy Fawkes's 
cell, which was called *' Little Ease." 

' ' Just imagine having to stay long in there ! ' ' 
sighed Betty. '' Not able to stand up, lie down, 
or even sit up straight ! Did they make it that 
way on purpose, do you think f " 

'^ They certainly did, Miss," declared the 
guide. ' ' They tried to make 'im confess 'o 'ad 
associated with 'im in the plot; but 'e wouldn't, 
and they finally put 'im on the rack, poor man ! 
A terrible thing was that rack ! ' ' 

'^ Let's come away now," broke in Mrs. Pitt 
quickly. ' ' I really think we have all had about 
enough of this, and there are more cheerful 
things to be seen above." 

So they threaded their way out to the entrance 
again, getting whiffs of damp, disagreeable air 
from several dark dungeons, and passing 
through a number of great apartments stacked 
with guns. It was a relief to gain the main 
part of the building, where other people were, 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 59 

and plenty of warmth and sunlight. Their 
spirits rose, and they laughed and joked while 
climbing the narrow, spiral stairs. 

The large room in which they found them- 
selves was filled with weapons also, and various 
relics of the old Tower. It was used as the 
great Banqueting-hall when the Tower was the 
Eoyal Palace, as well as the fortress, the State 
prison, the Mint, the Armory, and the Record 
Office. The apartment above this was the Coun- 
cil Chamber. They went up. 

'' It was here that Eichard 11 gave up his 
crown to Henry of Bolingbroke who became 
Henry IV, by demand of the people, ' ' said Mrs. 
Pitt. ' * Eichard was a weak, cruel king, you re- 
member, and was confined in a distant castle, 
where he was finally murdered. Suppose we 
examine some of this armor now. This suit 
here belonged to Queen Elizabeth's favorite, the 
Earl of Leicester. Notice the initials E. D., 
which stand for his name, Eobert Dudley. This 
here was made for Charles I when he was a 
boy; and that belonged to Charles Brandon, 
Duke of Suffolk; and this, to Henry VIII him- 
self. Aren't they interesting? Yes, what's 
that you have found, Barbara? " 



6o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

The two boys were absorbed in the armor 
for some time, but Barbara and Betty liked a 
figure on horseback, which represents Queen 
Elizabeth as she looked when she rode out in 
state. It is strangely realistic, for the figure is 
dressed in a gown of the period said to have 
belonged to that Queen. 

" Do you suppose that jewels were sewn into 
the dress where those round holes are? " asked 
Betty, gently touching the faded velvet with one 
finger. 

They all examined the dreadful instruments 
of torture, some of them taken from the Ar- 
mada, and the ghastly headsman's block and 
mask, and then they descended the wiading 
stairs again and went into the little shadowy 
St. John's Chapel, on the floor with the Ban- 
queting-hall. 

" I want you all to remember that this is 
called the ' most perfect Norman chapel in Eng- 
land,' " began Mrs. Pitt. " Some day when 
you have learned more about architecture, that 
will mean a great deal to you. These heavy cir- 
cular pillars and the horseshoe arches show 
the ancient Norman style. It's a quaint place, 
isn't it? Here Brackenbury, the Lieutenant of 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 6i 

the Tower, was praying one evening when the 
order came to him to murder the two little 
Princes. In this chapel, the Duke of Northum- 
berland, the aged father of Lady Jane Grey, 
heard Mass before he went out to execution. 
' Bloody Mary ' came here to attend service 
upon the death of her brother, Edward VI. 
Somewhere on the same floor of this tower, 
John Baliol, the Scotch King, was imprisoned 
and lived for some time in great state. There 
is (at any rate, there was) a secret passage be- 
tween this chapel and the Royal Apartments. 
I have read so much about the dreadful con- 
spirators who skulked about the Tower, and the 
fearful deeds that were done here, that I can 
almost see a man in armor, with drawn sword, 
lurking behind one of these pillars ! ' ' 

Some soldiers in their gay uniforms were 
parading on Tower Green when they went out 
again, and the scene was a merry, bright one. 

' ' How different from the days when the scaf- 
fold stood under those trees! " exclaimed Mrs. 
Pitt, as they approached the fatal spot. ' ' Here 
perished Lady Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn, Kath- 
arine Howard, and Queen Elizabeth's unfor- 
tunate favorite, the Earl of Essex. Most of the 



62 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

victims were beheaded just outside, on Tower 
Hill. Now, we '11 look into St. Peter 's Chapel. ' ' 

It is a gloomy, unattractive enough little 
chapel, but there are buried here many il- 
lustrious men and women, whose lives were un- 
justly taken by those in power. Here lie the 
queens who suffered at the Tower, and, 
strangely enough, their tombs are mostly un- 
marked. John Fisher, the ancient Bishop of 
Eochester, lies here, and Guildford Dudley, 
husband to Lady Jane Grey, the Earl of Arun- 
del, Sir Thomas More, and many others whose 
names are forever famous. 

Our party visited the little room in the Beau- 
champ Tower, which so many examine with in- 
tense interest. Many people were imprisoned 
there, and the walls are literally covered with 
signatures, verses, coats-of-arms, crests, and 
various devices cut into the stone by the cap- 
tives. Perhaps the most famous is the simple 
word ' ^ JANE, ' ' said to have been done by her 
husband, Guildford Dudley. A secret passage 
has been discovered extending around this 
chamber, and probably spies were stationed 
there to watch the prisoners and listen to what 
they said. 



THE TOWER OF LONDON 63 

" That's the Brick Tower," said Mrs. Pitt, 
pointing to it with her umbrella, as she spoke. 
ti There's where Ladj Jane Grey was impris- 
oned, and there Sir Walter Raleigh lived dur- 
ing his first stay at the Tower. It was when 
he was in the Beauchamp Tower, however, that 
he burnt part of his ' History of the World, ' the 
work of many years. It happened in a curious 
way! Do you know the story? He was at his 
window one morning and witnessed a certain 
scene which took place in the court beneath. 
Later, he talked with a friend who had been a 
nearer spectator of this identical scene, and they 
disagreed entirely as to what passed. Raleigh 
was very peculiarly affected by this little inci- 
dent. He reasoned that if he could be so much 
mistaken about something which had happened 
under his very eyes, how much more mistaken 
must he be about things which occurred cen- 
turies before he was born. The consequence 
was that he threw the second volume of his 
manuscript into the fire, and calmly watched it 
burn. Think of the loss to us ! Poor Raleigh ! 
He was finally beheaded, and I should think he 
would have welcomed it, after so many dreary 
years of imprisonment. He is buried in St. 



64 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Margaret's Cliiircli, beside Westniinster Abbey, 
you know.'* 

" Was there a real palace in the Tower? " 
inquired Betty, while they retraced their steps 
under the Bloody Tower and back toward the 
entrance. " Isn't there any of it remaining? " 

" Yes, there was a palace here once, for roy- 
alty lived in the Tower through the reign of 
James I. No part of it now exists, however. 
It stood over beyond the White Tower, in a part 
which visitors are not now allowed to see." 

On a hill just outside the Tower, in the center 
of a large, barren square, is a little inclosed 
park with trees and shrubbery. Here stood the 
scaffold where almost all of the executions were 
held. The place is now green and fruitful, but 
it is said that on the site of the scaffold within 
the Tower, grass cannot be made to grow. 

As they walked toward a station of the 
" Tube," an underground railway, John sud- 
denly heaved a great sigh of relief and ex- 
claimed : 

" Well, I tell you what! I've learned heaps, 
but I don't want to hear anything more about 
executions for a few days! What do you all 
say? " 



CHAPTER SIX 

ST. Paul's cathedral and its vicinity 

When Betty came down to her breakfast the 
following morning, she found her plate heaped 
with letters and fascinating little parcels of 
different shapes. For a moment she looked 
puzzled, then she exclaimed: 

''Oh! I know! It's my birthday, and I'm 
having such a splendid time sight-seeing, that 
I had forgotten all about it ! How lovely ! " as 
she glanced again at the presents. 

" See, John! " she cried, opening the first 
package, which had an American postmark, 
" see what mother has sent me! It is such a 
pretty tan leather cover, with little handles, to 
put on my Baedeker. You know I always carry 
the guidebook, and read about things for Mrs. 
Pitt. Now, I can keep the book clean, and be- 
sides, people can't recognize me as an Amer- 
ican just from seeing my red book! That's a 
fine idea, I think ! " 

65 



66 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Jolin thought that his sister was not opening 
the bundles quite fast enough, so he pounced 
upon one and unwrapped it for her. 

" This long thing is father's gift, Betty. 
It's an umbrella, of course, and a fine one! 
Here's a card which says, ' Knowing that two 
umbrellas could never be amiss in England, I 
send this.' Do you suppose he guessed that 
you'd lost yours? " 

After the bundles were all opened, the letters 
hurriedly devoured, and Betty had at last set- 
tled down to eating her cold breakfast, Mrs. Pitt 
said: 

" I had not decided exactly what we would 
do to-day, and now I think I'll let the birthday 
girl plan. Where will you go, Betty? " 

After due consideration, Betty announced 
that she would choose to visit St. Paul's Cathe- 
dral, and afterwards, by way of contrast, to 
have lunch at the Cheshire Cheese. 

" What in the world's that I " inquired John. 

Mrs. Pitt laughed. '' You'll see, for we'll go 
there, as Betty suggests, when we have seen St. 
Paul's. I'm not sure whether you'll care to 
have lunch there, but we'll look in, at any rate. 
It's rather different from the places where you 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 67 

are accustomed to take your luncli! No, you 
must wait, John! I'm not going to tell you 
any more about it ! " 

'* What a beautiful day! " Betty cried, tak- 
ing her seat on the bus a little later. '' I do 
wish it wouldn't always be so windy, though! I 
almost lost my hat then! " 

" As you stay longer in London, you'll notice 
that a really clear day is almost always a very 
windy one as well. We Londoners have to ac- 
cept the two together," Mrs. Pitt told the vis- 
itors. 

Leaving Trafalgar Square, the bus carried 
them by Charing Cross Station, in front of 
which is a copy of the old Charing Cross. Ed- 
ward I, when his queen, Eleanor of Castile, 
died, put up many crosses in her memory, each 
one marking a spot where her body was set 
down during its journey to Westminster Abbey 
for burial. A little farther along, the bus 
passed the odd little church of St. Mary-le- 
Strand, which is on an ' * island ' ' in the middle 
of that wide street and its great busy, hurrying 
traffic. It is good to remember that on that 
very spot, the maypole once stood. Narrow 
side streets lead off the Strand, and looking 



68 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

down them one may see .the river, and under- 
stand why the street was so named. It orig- 
inally ran along by the bank of the Thames, and 
the splendid houses of the nobles lined the way. 

" These fine stone buildings on our left are 
the new Law Courts, and the griffin in the 
center of the street marks the position of old 
Temple Bar. There! "We've passed it, and 
now we are in Fleet Street. Temple Bar was 
the entrance to the ' City,' you know. To this 
day the King cannot proceed into the ' City ' 
without being first received at Temple Bar, by 
the Lord Mayor. At one time, the city of Lon- 
don comprised a small area (two and a quar- 
ter miles from end to end), and was inclosed 
by walls and entered by gates. Originally there 
were but four gates, — ^Aldgate, Aldersgate, Lud- 
gate, and Bridgegate. Think what a small city 
it was then ! It is curious to know that in spite 
of that, there were then one hundred and three 
churches in London. The real center of life for 
centuries was at ' Chepe,' or Cheapside, as it 
is now called. You'll see it later." 

Betty had been looking eagerly, even while 
she listened to what Mrs. Pitt was saying. Her 
eyes now rested upon an old church, over the 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 69 

door of which, stood a queer, blackened statue 
of a queen. 

'' The church is St. Dunstan's," responded 
Mrs. Pitt again. '' That old statue of Queen 
Elizabeth is one of the few things which escaped 
the great fire in the reign of Charles II. The 
figure once stood on the ancient Lud Gate of 
the city. They say that it was in the church- 
yard of St. Dunstan's that John Milton sold his 
wonderful poem of ' Paradise Lost ' for five 
pounds. ' ' 

" Let's see, — that would be twenty-five dol- 
lars, wouldn't it? I haven't your English 
money clear in my mind yet, ' ' John confided to 
Philip. *' I can't somehow feel that it's real 
money unless it 's in dollars and cents. ' ' 

Philip soon pointed to a little alley-way on 
their left, and said, '' The Cheshire Cheese 
is in a little court back of there. You can't 
think how many buildings, courts, and alleys are 
hidden in behind all of these shops. Some of 
the old inns, or coffee-houses, which were fa- 
mous are (or were) there. Now, here's Lud- 
gate Hill, and in a minute you'll have a view of 
St. Paul's." 

St. Paul's Cathedral stands on a hill, and be- 



70 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

cause of its position and huge dome it is the 
most conspicuous of London's landmarks. But, 
because of the closely surrounding buildings, it 
is much hidden from near view. As the bus 
mounted Ludgate Hill, having passed under the 
railroad-bridge, they suddenly saw the tre- 
mendous cathedral looming up before them. 

They paused for a moment by the statue of 
Queen Anne, in front of the main entrance, while 
Mrs. Pitt, following her delightful habit, re- 
minded them of certain notable facts. 

" No one knows exactly how long there has 
been a church upon this site," she began, beck- 
oning them closer to her, as the noise of the 
traffic was so great, '' but Bede, the oldest his- 
torian, says that a chapel was built here by a 
Saxon king, before the time of the Eomans. 
When Sir Christopher Wren, the architect, built 
this present edifice, after the great fire of 1666, 
he found relics of three periods, — the Saxon, the 
British, and the Eoman. St. Paul's has been 
burned five times. The last fire (the one of 
which I just spoke) destroyed the church which 
we know as ' old St. Paul's.' Now, let's go in, 
for there is much to be seen. ' ' 

Next to St. Peter's at Eome, St. Paul's in 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 71 

London is the largest church in the world. The 
first impression a person gets is one of great 
vastness and bareness, for, unlike Westminster 
Abbey, here one does not encounter at every step 
famous statues, memorials, and graves. The 
nave is tremendous in width and in length. 
Chapels open from both sides, but they seem far 
off and shadowy. Way in the distance is the 
choir, the altar, and the group of chairs used 
at services. Everything is quiet, empty, and 
bare. 

'' I never imagined such a huge church! " 
said Betty, much impressed. '' I feel lost 
and cold, somehow. What are you think- 
ing, Mrs. Pitt? I'm sure we'd all like to 
hear." 

* ' I was just picturing, as I always do when I 
come here, the scenes the nave of old St. Paul's 
presented in Henry VIII's time. Would you 
like to hear? Well, in the sixteenth century, 
this nave was called ' Paul's Walke,' and it was 
a place of business. Yes, ' ' she assured them, as 
John and Betty exclaimed, '^ down these aisles 
were booths where merchants of all kinds sold 
their wares. Counters were built around the 
pillars, and even the font was used by the 



72 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

vendors. Pack-horses laden with merchandise 
streamed always in and out, and crowds of peo- 
ple elbowed their way about, shouting and 
gesticulating excitedly." 

'' But didn't they have any services at all 
in St. Paul's Cathedral? " asked Betty won- 
deringly. 

"Oh, yes!" continued Mrs. Pitt, "the 
services went on just the same. The people 
were used to the noise and confusion. Here 
came the tailors to look at the fine new clothes 
which the young dandies wore when they took 
their morning promenades. All the latest books 
and poems were always to be found on sale here. 
Bishop Earle wrote ' Paul's Walke — you may 
cal — the lesser He of Great Brittaine. The 
noyse in it is like that of Bees, in strange hum- 
mings, or buzze, mixt of walking, tongues, and 
feet; it is a kind of still roare, or loud 
whisper.' 

" I am glad to be able to say, however," 
she continued, " that before that dreadful 
period, there was a time when the cathedral was 
not so dishonored. Once these walls were cov- 
ered with valuable shrines, pictures, and tapes- 
tries, and costly jewels glittered everywhere. 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 73 

There was one huge emerald which was said to 
cure diseases of the eyes. Here came John 
Wycliffe, the great reformer, at the summons of 
the Archbishop of Canterbury, to answer for 
the publication of his new doctrines. Here, 
Henry of Bolingbroke prayed for his successful 
seizure of the throne, and here he also wept 
over. the grave of his father, John of Gaunt. 
Sir Philip Sidney was buried here, and his 
father-in-law. Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen 
Elizabeth's secretary; and there was a mag- 
nificent monument to Sir Christopher Hatton, 
Lord Chancellor, but these were all destroyed by 
the Great Fire." 

About the aisles and nave are many monu- 
ments to great soldiers, sailors, painters, states- 
men, literary men, and others. Most of them 
are very ugly, and our party did not linger 
long over these. After walking under the dome, 
and looking up into its tremendous heights, they 
went down into the crypt, which is really the 
most interesting part of the cathedral. 

The crypt is vast, dark, and gloomy. Other 
parties may be heard walking about and talking 
in the distance, without being seen, and their 
voices echo strangely. In the ' ' Painters ' Cor- 



74 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ner," Sir Josliua Eeynolds, West, Lawrence, 
Landseer, and Turner, all famous artists, lie 
buried beneath the pavement. Sir Christopher 
Wren, surrounded by members of his family, 
lies under the dome, as was his wish. Lord Nel- 
son and the Duke of Wellington both have 
splendid tombs there. 

'' These are all we now have of the monu- 
ments of the old cathedral," remarked Mrs. Pitt, 
pointing to where in a comer some mutilated 
figures, heads, and broken monuments lay, all 
in a heap. 

John was delighted when it was proposed to 
climb up into the dome, and to test the ' ' Whis- 
pering Gallery," on the way. It seemed an 
endless climb up the spiral stairs, and Mrs. Pitt, 
Barbara, and Betty lagged behind. When they 
finally came out into the great round gallery, the 
two boys were over on the opposite side. Betty, 
after waving to them, sat down on a bench 
against the wall, and suddenly she heard John's 
voice, saying ' ' Glad to see you at last ! ' ' She 
put her lips to the wall and whispering an an- 
swer, found that John could hear her, too. 
They were having quite a lengthy conversation, 
holding first their lips to the wall to speak. 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 75 

and then their ears to listen, when Mrs. Pitt in- 
terrupted them. 

'' That's great fun, but we have still a hard 
climb before us, ' ' she reminded them. ' ' I think 
we had better go on. ' ' 

The remainder of the way was much more dif- 
ficult, as the steps were steeper and narrower 
than ever, but they at last emerged on the little 
platform, running around the top of the dome. 

" My, what a view! " they cried. 

'' Yes, you're the first visitors in many a day 
who could see so far," the man in charge told 
them. 

If the terrible black smoke which comes from 
the hundreds of chimneys, and the fog permit 
one to see it all, the view is truly fine. It is 
especially interesting to trace the river in its 
various curves, and to pick out the many bridges 
which span it. Another striking feature is the 
immense number of spires. The guide pointed 
out the churches to them, and also the different 
parts of the city. 

*' If you thought it was windy on the bus, 
Betty, I wonder what you call this, ' ' exclaimed 
Barbara, grasping her hat with both hands. 
" I 'm going down now. ' ' 



76 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

The others were quite ready to follow, and 
they wound their way down, down, down, until 
they stood again on the main floor, under the 
dome. 

'' This is called St. Paul's Church-yard," said 
Mrs. Pitt, leading the way around back of the 
cathedral. ' ' This used to be a very busy place. 
St. Paul's School was here, within the yard, as 
well as many shops. The first printer who pro- 
duced books for children had his shop in this 
comer. In the days when the interior of the 
building was put to such dreadful uses, the out- 
side was treated quite as badly. Shops of all 
kinds were built up against the cathedral, and 
sometimes the noise which the carpenters made 
greatly disturbed those at the service within. 
It must have been shocking indeed! It is said 
that for a very small sum, the sexton would 
allow boys to climb up and ring the bells 
as much as they liked; and, on the day of 
Queen Mary's coronation, she saw a Dutch- 
man standing on the weather-vane, waving 
a flag." 

" My! I'd like to have seen that! " cried 
John, to whom such gymnastic, feats appealed. 

While they walked back to the Cheshire 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 77 

Cheese, Mrs. Pitt explained to them what St. 
Paul's Cathedral once comprised. 

" In the London of the Middle Ages, the 
Church ruled supreme," she told them. '' At 
least one-fourth of the entire city was owned 
by the churches and the religious houses. To 
carry on the monasteries and churches, a tre- 
mendous number of people were necessary. At 
St. Paul's, in 1450, there were: 

The bishop. 

Four archdeacons, 

The treasurer. 

The precentor, 

The chancellor. 

Thirty greater canons, 

Twelve lesser canons, 

Fifty chaplains, and 

Thirty vicars. 
These were of the higher rank; there were in- 
numerable others of lower rank, such as the 
master of the singing-school, the binder, and the 
translator. The brewer, in 1286, brewed 67,814 
gallons, and the baker baked about 40,000 loaves. 
This gives one a little idea of what it meant to 
conduct a cathedral in those days of the all- 
powerful Church." 



78 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Between the poor shops of Fleet Street, open 
many little passages, and these lead into tiny 
courts and winding alleys. The entrance to 
one of them is marked with the sign, ^ ' Wine Of- 
fice Court." Directly off from this narrow, 
dark alley stands the famous Cheshire Cheese, 
the only genuine old-time tavern or " coffee- 
house " which still exists unchanged. It is a 
little, low building, with quaint bow-window of 
square panes. 

^' Why, we can't all get in there, can we? " 
laughed John, as Mrs. Pitt stepped inside. The 
door is very small, and the hallway was so 
crowded by curious visitors, and by jostling, 
pushing waiters, that it did not seem possible for 
another person to enter. They managed, how- 
ever, to elbow their way through the crowd 
into the celebrated " coffee-room " itself. 

That * ' coffee-room ' ' is splendid ! The ceil- 
ing is very low, and the walls are wainscoted in 
dark -wood. Although the room is so small, 
there are numerous long tables, and old-fash- 
ioned, high-backed settles. One seat, in the cor- 
ner farthest from the door, is marked with a 
little tablet, telling us that there was Dr. John- 
son's chosen place. Several pictures of that 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 79 

noted gentleman adorn the walls. It always 
seems very much out of keeping with the quaint- 
ness of the room, to find it full of laughing, 
chattering Americans. A few quiet English 
clerks come there for their noon meal, but the 
majority of the patrons of the Cheshire Cheese 
are the tourists. 

li There's nothing to do but to wait here un- 
til we can get seats," said Mrs. Pitt; so they all 
remained standing in the middle of the floor, 
directly in the path of the waiters, until finally 
some seats were free, and they slid into 
one of the long benches which extend down 
each side of the tables, placed endwise to the 
wall. 

' ' Are you sorry you proposed coming here 1 ' ' 
Mrs. Pitt asked Betty, watching with amuse- 
ment her crest-fallen face as she saw the soiled 
linen, and untidy look of the entire table. 

' * Oh, no, ' ' Betty answered doubtfully, ' ' only 
I guess people come here more because Dr. 
Johnson did, than because they like it." 

Mrs. Pitt laughed. " That's very true," she 
said. " The service isn't exactly prompt, 
either. We've already waited quite fifteen min- 
utes, I am sure. I ordered lark pie and 



8o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Chesliire cheese for you, of course. Every one 
takes them on his first visit here. ' ' 

The lark pie was Dr. Johnson's favorite dish, 
but that fact does not suffice to make it very en- 
joyable. Betty frankly confessed that she could 
not manage to eat hers, but John pretended to 
be very industrious over his, although he did a 
good deal of looking about the room and com- 
menting upon things he saw. 

" There's even sawdust on the floor," he an- 
nounced jubilantly. " Did you ever! My! 
How hot and stuffy it is here! Were all old 
inns just like this, Mrs. Pitt? " 

" Yes, pretty much so, I think," was the re- 
sponse. " There were ever so many of them, 
you know, and each was frequented by a certain 
class of men. For instance, there was the 
' British Coffee-house, ' where all the Scotch vis- 
itors went; there was ' Robin's,' which was 
noted for its foreign bankers and ambassadors ; 
and there was ' Dolly's Chophouse,' where the 
wits congregated. Most of the famous clubs 
held their meetings at one or another of the 
' coffee-houses,' too. The ' Spectator Club ' 
met at ' Button's Coffee-house,' anl there the 
* Spectator Papers ' had their beginningSo 



ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL 8i 

There Addison, Steele, Pope, and others, spent 
their leisure hours. Some of the London clubs 
of the eighteenth century had very queer 
names! " she continued. " There was the 
' Ugly Club,' the ' Quack Club,' the ' Beefsteak 
Club,' the ' Split-Farthing Club,' and the 
' Small Coalmen's Music Club,' for example. 
Here, at the Cheshire Cheese, Goldsmith often 
came with Dr. Johnson. Can't you imagine the 
two sitting over at that table, with Boswell not 
far away, patiently listening, quill in hand? 
Dr. Johnson was very careless and un- 
tidy, you know, and invariably spilled his 
soup. It was he who used to walk up and 
down Fleet Street touching every post he 
passed! " 

All this time they had been waiting for their 
cheese. When it finally came, it proved to be 
much better than the lark pie. The cheese is 
served in little three-cornered tins, and is 
poured hot over crisp pieces of toast. 

When they had finished, they went up the 
winding stairs to see the room where the famous 
" Literary Club " used to meet. Dr. Johnson's 
chair is preserved there. 

" Didn't Dr. Johnson live near here, too, 



82 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Mother? " asked Barbara, as they came out 
again into the court. 

' ' Yes, I believe he lived in both Johnson and 
Bolt Courts," Mrs. Pitt told them. '' His 
haunts were all about here. In number six, 
over there. Goldsmith is said to have written 
* The Vicar of Wakefield.' " 

From there, they walked up Fleet Street, dis- 
cussing their unusual lunch as they went. They 
had all enjoyed it, — even Betty. 

She made them all laugh, however, by an- 
nouncing seriously, ''I'm glad I went, but I 
think it is just about as nice to read about lunch- 
ing there, as to really do it. And then, you 
wouldn't be quite so hungry afterwards! " 



CHAPTER SEVEN 

A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 

It was Sunday afternoon, and the time for 
John and Betty to send their weekly letters 
home. The day was a beautiful one in early 
spring, the grass and trees in the garden behind 
the house were very green, birds were singing 
outside, people were continually walking by, and 
the letters progressed but slowly. Every few 
moments Betty stole a glance out-of-doors, and 
John sat leaning his elbow on the desk chewing 
the end of his penholder, while he gazed steadily 
out of the window. 

" Well, what do you think of it all, John? " 
asked Betty thoughtfully. '■ ' Aren't we glad we 
came, and aren't Mrs. Pitt and Barbara and 
Philip good to us ? " 

' ' Just splendid ! ' ' exclaimed John most em- 
phatically. He had turned away from the win- 
dow now, and was entering earnestly into the 
conversation, ' ' I just tell you what, Betty, it's 

83 



84 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

a different thing to peg away at an old, torn 
history-book at school, and to come over here 
and see things and places, while Mrs. Pitt tells 
you about them ! Why, I honestly like English 
history the way we're learning it now! " 

Betty smiled in an elder-sisterly fashion. 
' ' Well, I always did like to study history, but it 
surely makes it nicer and easier to do it this 
way. But besides that, John, don't you think it's 
queer and very interesting to see the way the 
English do things — all their customs, I mean. 
They're so different from ours! Why, when I 
first saw Barbara that day at the train, I 
thought it was the funniest thing that her hair 
was all hanging loose down her back. I 
wouldn't think of being so babyish! I thought 
perhaps she'd lost off her ribbon maybe, but 
she's worn it that way ever since. And her lit- 
tle sailor-hat looks so countrified as she has it, 
— 'way down over her ears ! " 

*' I know it ; it seemed mighty funny to me to 
see Philip's black suit with the long trousers, 
his broad collar, and skimpy short coat! It's 
what all the boys at the Eton School wear, he 
says. They must feel like fools! Why, I'd 
feel like — like — ' Little Lord Fauntleroy ' going 




I'd feel like 'Little Lord Fauntleroy ' going around with 
THOSE CLOTHES ON ! " — Page 84. 



A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 85 

around with those clothes on all the time! " 
John's voice was full of scorn, yet his eyes 
twinkled with fun. " But, the high hat, just 
like father's opera-hat, which Philip wears, 
beats it all! " he continued. '' I'm so used to 
it now, though, that I don't think of it any more. 
It's queer how soon you get used to things! 
It's just like riding along the streets, and keep- 
ing to the left instead of to the right. The first 
time I rode in a hansom (you weren't there that 
day, Betty) and we suddenly turned a corner, 
keeping close to the left curb, I poked open the 
little door in the roof and shouted, ' Hey there ! 
Mister! You'll bump into something if you 
don't look out! ' The driver just stared; he 
didn't seem to know what I was talking about." 
' ' Yes, ' ' went on Betty in her turn, ' ' keeping 
to the left did seem queer at first. You know, 
John, how often we have wished that Dan and 
the automobile were over here. Honestly, I 
think Dan would surely have an accident ! He 
never could remember to keep to the left ! Now, 
we simply must go on with our letters ! Begia 
when I say three! One — two — (hurry, John, 
you haven't dipped your pen!), three! " and 
both commenced to write industriously. 



86. JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

The letters were finally finished just as the 
tea-bell rang. Betty ran to wash her hands, 
and then they went down to the library, where 
tea was served every afternoon that they were 
at home. 

' ' Why ! I quite like tea over here ! ' ' Betty re- 
marked. ' ' I never drink it at home ! Mother 
would be so surprised if she saw me! Do all 
English people drink it every afternoon as you 
do, Mrs. Pitt? " 

*' Yes, it seems to go with the English people, 
somehow. "We'd quite as soon think of doing 
without our breakfast or dinner as our four- 
o'clock- tea. You've noticed, my dear, how I al- 
ways manage to get my tea at some little shop 
when we are on one of our sight-seeing tours. 
Really, I am quite lost without it ! Oh ! it's just 
a habit, of course." As she spoke, Mrs. Pitt 
poured herself another cup. 

"When the tea things had been removed, and a 
fire was lighted, stories were called for. 

' ' Tell us some of the stories you know about 
different places and old customs, Mother," 
urged Barbara. 

' ' Very well, ' ' said Mrs. Pitt willingly. ' ' Let 
— me — see! You remember, don't you, having 



A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 87 

the guide point out London Bridge to you, from 
the top of St. Paul's, day before yesterday? 
That 's the oldest bridge, you know, for it seems 
to have existed as long ago as we know any- 
thing of London itself. But legend has it that 
before there was any bridge over the Thames, 
people crossed in a ferry which was run by a 
certain John Overs. This man naturally be- 
came rich, as very many people were always 
paying him for taking them across the river, but 
he was a great miser. The ferryman had one 
fair daughter about whom he was as miserly 
as he was with his money, — ^keeping her shut up 
out of reach of her lover. One day, John Overs 
thought he would like to save the cost of pro- 
viding food for his household, so he pretended 
to be dead. He expected that his servants 
would fast in consequence, as was the ancient 
custom; but so great was their joy when they 
thought their master dead, that they all began to 
dance, to make merry together, and to feast 
upon all they found in the house. The old miser 
stood this just as long as he could, and then he 
sprang up to lay hands upon them. The 
servants fled, believing that it was something 
supernatural — all except one, who, more daring 



88 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

than the rest, killed his master with his weapon. 
So old John did die after all, but in an unex- 
pected way. 

" Part the second of my story tells of how 
the monks of a neighboring abbey finally con- 
sented to bury the body; when the abbot re- 
turned, however, he was very angry at what 
they had done, and gave the friars some orders. 
They dug up the body of the poor old boatman, 
tied it to the back of an ass, and turned the ani- 
mal loose. The body was finally thrown off at 
the place of public execution (directly under the 
gallows), and there it was buried and remained. 
Meanwhile the daughter, Mary, was having 
more trouble. Immediately upon the death of 
her father, she had sent for her lover, but in 
coming to her, he had been thrown off his horse 
and killed. This was too much for the un- 
fortunate girl, who decided to retire to a nun- 
nery, leaving her entire fortune to found the 
church of ' St. Mary Overy.' That is the real 
name of the church now known as South- 
wark Cathedral, which stands just across 
London Bridge. Now, how do you like that 
story? " 

* ' Great ! ' ' exclaimed John. ' ' Whoever 



A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 89 

thought that up had a vivid imagination, all 
right! " 

'< Why, don't yon believe it, John? " said 
Betty, who always took everything most seri- 
ously. 

When they were quiet again, Mrs. Pitt talked 
on. 

' ' London Bridge, up to the time of the Great 
Fire, was crowded with houses, you know, and 
there was even a chapel there. Over the gate at 
the Southwark end of the bridge, the heads of 
traitors were exhibited on the ends of long 
poles. Here Margaret Roper, whom you met at 
the Tower, came, bargained for, and at last se- 
cured the head of her father. Sir Thomas More. 
But, to go back to the houses! Hans Holbein, 
the painter, and John Bunyan, the poet, are 
both said to have resided on London Bridge. 
I also like the story which tells of a famous wine 
merchant, named Master Abel, who had his shop 
there. Before his door, he set up a sign on 
which was the picture of a bell, and under it 
were written the words, ' Thank God I am Abel.' 
Here's a picture of old London Bridge. Imagine 
how quaint it must have looked crowded by these 
picturesque old houses, and with its streets 



90 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

filled with travelers. All those entering Lon- 
don from the south came across that bridge, 
which was consequently a great thoroughfare. 
Near the Sonthwark side of the bridge is where 
the Tabard Inn stood — the inn from which the 
Canterbury Pilgrims set out ; and near the bank, 
known as Bankside in those days, was the cele- 
brated Globe Theatre, connected with Shake- 
speare and his associates. The popular Paris 
Grardens were there, too, where the sport of 
bear-baiting was seen in Queen Elizabeth's time. 
If we went over there, we could see the former 
sites of these historic places, but they are now 
covered by unattractive, modern buildings or 
great breweries. It's hard to conjure up the 
Globe Theatre out of present-day Southwark," 
she added with a sigh, as if she were speaking 
to herself. '' Not far from the site of the Tab- 
ard Inn, a picturesque, gabled house once stood, 
in which John Harvard was born. Yes, John, 
that was the man who founded Harvard College, 
at your American Cambridge." 

'' Yes, and I mean to go there myself some 
day! " announced John, immediately fired by 
the familiar name of our oldest university. 
" My father went, you know." 



A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 91 

Mrs. Pitt and the two girls spent the re- 
mainder of the evening in talking over plans for 
the next day, hut John's thoughts had been 
turned to college, and so he and Philip had a 
lively time comparing notes about English and 
American colleges. 

'' Where do you mean to go, Philip? " John 
inquired. 

'* Oh, to Cambridge, of course! My father, 
his father, and all my family for generations 
back have been to Trinity College, Cambridge. 
That's the largest college in England, and was 
founded by Henry VIII. Oh, it's jolly there! 
There are old quadrangles around which the men 
live; there's a beautiful old chapel, built in the 
Tudor period; and there's the dining-hall. 
That's grand! Back of the college is the river, 
the Cam. There's a lovely garden there, and 
over the river on which the men go boating, is an 
old bridge. I had a cousin who lived in the 
rooms which Byron once occupied. He, Macau- 
lay, Tennyson, Thackeray, Dryden, and many 
other famous men went there. Oh, it 's the only 
college for me ! I shall be there in three years, 
I hope! " 

" Well, Harvard's our oldest college. It was 



92 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

founded by your John Harvard almost as soon 
as Boston itself, and ' Teddy ' Roosevelt went 
there! It's good enough for me! The only 
trouble is that they can't seem to beat at foot- 
ball, somehow, and I mean to play and see if I 
can't help 'em win. That's the only trouble 
with old Harvard, though," John said, feeling 
that he must be loyal to his college ki this inter- 
national discussion; " otherwise she's all right! 
There's the Stadium, where all the big games 
are played, and there's the Charles River for us 
to row on. There are loads of fine new build- 
ings, too, and I'd like those better than the old 
ones. We don't care who lived in 'em! Oh, 
the fellows at Harvard have a splendid time ! ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt had overheard some of this con- 
versation with much amusement, for the ideas 
and ideals of the two boys were so different, and 
so very characteristic of each. 

*' I think you'd enjoy a visit to Cambridge, 
John," she said. '* We must try to manage it. 
You'd find one of our colleges very unlike yours 
in America. Both Oxford and Cambridge Uni- 
versities are made up of many colleges, you 
know; at Oxford, there are twenty-two, and at 
Cambridge, eighteen. Each college has its own 



A SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT 93 

buildings, its own professors, its own chapel 
and dining-hall, and each college is complete in 
itself, although they all belong to one university. 
You would think the rules very strict! When 
the Cambridge men go to chapel, and at other 
specified times, they are required to wear their 
gowns and queer little flat caps, called ' trench- 
ers ' or ' mortar-boards.' At Oxford, the gates 
of each college are closed at nine o'clock every 
evening; a man may stay out later (even until 
twelve), if he can give a good reason for it. If 
he remains out all night, though, he is immedi- 
ately dismissed. How would you like that? " 
she laughed, seeing John's disgusted expression. 
( < There are men called ' scouts, ' who look after 
the men's rooms, and bring them their break- 
fast. The students are very carefully watched, 
and if one of them stays away from his meals 
at the dining-hall more than two or three times 
a week, the affair is investigated." 

" My! When we go to college in America, 
we are men, and can look after ourselves ! ' ' 
John drew himself up very straight, and spoke 
with great dignity. ' ' Cambridge may be older 
and have more — ^more — ' associations,' but I'd 
rather go to Harvard." 



CHAPTER EIGHT 

WINDSOR CASTLE, STOKE POGES, AND ETON SCHOOL 

*' It's only a little more than twenty miles 
out to Windsor, ' ' remarked Mrs. Pitt, one June 
morning. " Suppose we go in the motor, and 
then we can have a glimpse of both Stoke Poges 
and Eton School, on the way." 

There were always many exclamations of de- 
light at mention of the '' motor," so it was 
settled, and the party set out at ten o'clock, all 
in the highest of spirits. It was slow and dif- 
ficult driving through the city streets, but the 
English chauffeur was quite used to keeping to 
the left, as well as being perfectly familiar with 
the rules which govern the traffic, so he had none 
of the accidents which Betty and John had 
prophesied that their father's American chauf- 
feur would not be able to avoid. Very soon, 
however, they had reached the suburbs, and 
then they came into the open country. 

They could go faster now, and the big touring- 

94 



WINDSOR CASTLE 95 

car sped over the wonderfully smooth roads at 
a speed which delighted the young people. The 
weather was proving a bit uncertain. Every 
little while, a tiny shower descended upon them 
out of a blue sky full of great white clouds, the 
sun shining warm and bright all the while. 

'' Oh, don't let's put up any umbrella," ex- 
claimed Betty, during one of the showers. 
* ' Eain never seems to do any harm in England. 
You don't get wet, and never mind it a bit. 
Truly, I like it, for it's so pretty to see it rain- 
ing with the sun out. There! now, it's stopped 
again ! Just see that lovely rainbow ! ' ' 

The English country is always beautiful in its 
individual way, but it is especially so on one of 
these showery days, when every leaf and flower 
looks fresher than ever with the rain-drops 
glistening on it. Now and then, they slowed 
down while passing through a busy town, where 
pretty ladies and children in little two-wheeled 
carts drove about doing the morning marketing. 
Most of the way, however, lay through country 
roads bordered by green-hedged fields in which 
the ever-present sheep grazed; and here and 
there were high brick walls over which the 
stately, vine-covered homes were just visible. 



96 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

There were also picturesque little workmen's 
cottages at the edge of the wood, and lodges cov- 
ered with climbing-roses. 

It seemed as though they had only been riding 
a very short time when, upon emerging from a 
shady road, they drew up at a little gateway. 
John felt impatient at having to stop, and looked 
questioningly around at Mrs. Pitt from his 
place on the front seat. The others were 
already getting out, he found, and Mrs. Pitt 
was saying: 

' ' This is Stoke Poges, and I want you to see 
it, for it's such a lovely spot. Probably you 
have all learned in school parts of Gray's 
' Elegy,' and very likely you never cared or 
thought much about the poem. Even if that's 
true, you can't possibly help loving this peace- 
ful, beautiful place, in which it was written." 

They were now walking along a little path 
which led into the church-yard. A straight 
gravel walk stretches between the graves, up to 
the ancient church, which is very small, and has 
one tower closely covered with ivy. The fine 
old Saxon porch, and one doorway show great 
age ; but it is in the whole effect rather than in 
any detail of the little church and its surround- 




The moss-grown Saxon pokch. — Page 97. 



STOKE POGES 97 

ings that the charm lies. One cannot imagine 
a more quiet, remote spot ! On one side is the 
group of yew-trees which Gray mentions in the 
poem, and in their shelter are the hoary stones 
which mark the graves of the ' ' rude forefathers 
of the hamlet." Standing there, one almost 
hesitates to speak above a whisper for fear of 
arousing something or somebody out of sleep, 
or of breaking the wonderful spell of the place. 
Pausing under those trees, and feasting one's 
eyes upon the lovely, rural scene, not a sound 
reaches the ear except the twitter of the birds, 
and perhaps the faint jingle of a cow-bell. Mrs. 
Pitt gave a start at the sound of John's voice, 
when he suddenly said : 

" Let's go and find Gray's tomb, Philip; the 
guidebook says it's on the other side of the 
church." 

The rest lingered for just one more look at the 
little church, with its vines, and the rich, dark- 
red brick-work of the moss-grown Saxon porch, 
which the sun touches lovingly as it filters 
through the heavy leafage of the yew-trees ; then 
they followed Philip and John. 

Close to the outer wall of the church is a large 
tomb in which Gray is buried with his beloved 



98 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

mother. No word on the slab tells that the fa- 
mous poet is buried within; there is only his 
mother's epitaph, which Gray wrote, and in 
which he speaks of himself as " the only child 
who had the misfortune to outlive her. ' ' 

When Mrs. Pitt came up, John was standing 
near the tomb with his hat off, saying, " All 
right, Mr. Gray; I'll read your poem over again 
just as soon as ever I get home." 

The bustling, lively scenes of Eton School 
presented a marked contrast to the quiet of 
Stoke Poges. Moving about the grounds be- 
tween the different school-buildings, were 
dozens of boys all dressed in the regulation 
Eton suit, such as Philip himself wore. They 
were laughing, shouting, and playing games, 
just like other boys, but such actions somehow 
seemed out of keeping with their quaint cos- 
tumes. From the automobile John looked down 
upon them, his eyes full of wonder and surprise. 

** I suppose they are real boys," he said in a 
puzzled way, '' but they don't look like them." 

While Philip talked with some of his friends, 
and John lingered near the group, the others 
visited the beautiful Eton Chapel, and were 
especially interested in the familiar picture of 



ETON SCHOOL 99 

Sir Galahad, wMcli hangs there. The principal 
buildings of the school are ranged about two 
large courts; in the center of the Outer Quad- 
rangle is a bronze statue of Henry VI, the 
founder of the school. The library is valuable 
and contains some costly books and manuscripts. 
Fox, Peel, Chatham, "Wellington, and Shelley 
were Eton boys, and the latter 's autograph may 
still be seen on one of the desks. 

As they left Eton and crossed the bridge over 
the Thames, they duly admired the magnificent 
view of Windsor Castle, which may be enjoyed 
from that point. Above its many roofs and 
towers stands the great round keep, the 
oldest part of the castle, having been built by 
Edward III. 

The castle is on a hill in the center of the 
town, and the quaint, red-roofed houses reach 
even to its walls. After passing the statue of 
Queen Victoria, the automobile left the party 
at the entrance to the castle, through Henry 
VIII 's gateway, carved with the Tudor Rose. 
Inside, they joined a party and were shown 
about by a guide. 

They saw so many buildings that John and 
Betty found it rather bewildering. In thinking 



loo JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

it over afterwards, certain objects remained 
most clearly in their memory. 

' ' St. George 's Chapel is really the most beau- 
tiful thing there, of course," said Betty, as they 
rode away. '' I never saw such carving as 
there is on the seats — ^no, stalls — in the choir! 
Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, and poor Charles I 
are buried there, too. I like those faded ban- 
ners and the coats-of-arms which belonged to 
the Knights of the Garter. The whole place is 
lovely, I think. There are lots of little chapels 
off from it, too, like Westminster Abbey ; didn 't 
the guide say that the tomb of Queen Victoria's 
father, the Duke of Kent, is there f ' ' 

' ' Yes, ' ' answered Mrs. Pitt, ' ' and I hope you 
haven't forgotten the Albert Chapel. It adjoins 
St. George's, you remember, and we stood in the 
doorway when our turn came and looked in. It 
is very old, and is on the site of an ancient 
chapel of St. Edward, but Queen Victoria made 
it what it is now, and restored it in honor of her 
husband, Prince Albert. The interior is truly 
remarkable for its fine marbles, mosaics, sculp- 
tures, stained-glass, and precious stones. I 
fancy they would not especially appeal to you, 
however. How did you like the State Apart- 



ETON SCHOOL loi 

ments? It was fortunate that the Eoyal Fam- 
ily was not in residence, so that we could be ad- 
mitted. ' ' 

'^ Well," began John, " they made us hurry 
so that I didn't see very much. That guide 
drove us along as though we were a flock of 
sheep ! I liked that big room though, where all 
the portraits of the generals are. They called 
it the Waterloo Eoom, didn't they? Anyway, 
there were splendid pictures of Wellington, Met- 
ternich, Bliicher, and lots of other fellows. Did 
you see the busts of Wellington and Marlbor- 
ough in one of the other rooms, Philip 1 There 
are silk flags which hang over both the busts, 
and that cross old guide growled out that they 
are replaced every year on the anniversaries of 
the two battles ; — Wellington gets a new flag on 
June 18th, because of Waterloo in 1815, and 
Marlborough gets his on August 13th, on ac- 
count of the battle of Blenheim in 1704." 

" In that room," explained Mrs. Pitt, *' is 
where the ' command ' theatrical performances 
are held. When the King hears the report of a 
play which he thinks he would like, he simply 
commands the company to come to him; and if 
he happens to be at Windsor, he and the Court 



102 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

witness the play in the Waterloo Chamber. 
Your American Sonsa's Band played there once. 
I saw Betty and Barbara lingering before the 
large picture of Charles I and his family. I 
am glad you liked it, girls, for that's an especial 
delight of mine. Dear little ' Baby Stuart ' is 
so lovable ! That was in the Van Dyck Eoom, 
which contains many of that master's works. 
Those State Apartments are only for the use 
of Eoyal guests, you understand, when they 
come on visits. I always wish that we could see 
the King or Queen's private rooms, don't you? 
It would be so interesting. "What's your favor- 
ite part of the castle, Barbara? " 

" Oh, I like the terrace better than anything 
else," Barbara answered, without a moment's 
hesitation. " The view of the valley, with the 
river and Eton Chapel in the distance, is so 
pretty ! Then, there is something so stately and 
impressive about the wide, long terrace itself. 
I once read that it was Queen Elizabeth's favor- 
ite walk, and there couldn't be a more appro- 
priate place for a queen to choose. I like that 
gateway with E. E. on it, showing that it was 
built in Elizabeth's reign; and it's fun to look 
up to the little bay-window which is said to have 



ETON SCHOOL 103 

been her room. Then I like the old Curfew 
Tower, too," she added. 

'' Yes," broke in Mrs. Pitt. " That's one of 
the gloomiest parts of the whole castle, in its 
history as well as in its aspect. Of course, ter- 
rible things happened at Windsor just as they 
did elsewhere ; but although Windsor dates from 
a very early period, and figures in the reigns of 
all the sovereigns, its history contains more of 
the bright and happy than of the tragic. Down 
in a miserable, windowless cell in the lower part 
of the Curfew Tower, it is wrongly said that 
Queen Anne Boleyn was put to spend the night 
before her execution, as you know, and there 
still remain in the Tower some fearful instru- 
ments of torture. The Horseshoe Cloister near 
there, is very ancient, and the houses are de- 
lightfully mediaeval. Did you look in some of 
the tiny windows as we passed through? It 
is said that in a small hall there, in the Horse- 
shoe Cloister, Shakespeare's ' Merry Wives of 
Windsor ' was first produced." 

" Who was it that the guide told us was im- 
prisoned near the Eound Tower, and who fell 
in love with a lady whom he saw walking in the 
gardens? I have forgotten the names." It 



104 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

was Betty who spoke, for she had been quietly 
thinking over the visit. 

*' That was young James of Scotland, whom 
Henry V caused to be captured in time of truce, 
and thrown into prison at Windsor, where he 
remained almost twenty years. The English 
treated him kindly, however, and he spent 
his time in studying and watching the lady 
in the garden, who afterwards became his 
queen. ' ' 

''Oh! But, really, the stables are best of 
all! " exclaimed Philip, who loved horses like a 
true Briton. " I do like to go there and be 
shown about by one of those men in the black 
suits and yellow vests, and the bright cockades 
in their silk hats. Once when I was little, one 
of them let me go into a stall and feed some 
sugar to a splendid great horse named Black 
Beauty. I wished I could do it to-day, too ! All 
the carriages which carry the Court ladies are 
stupid, I think, but the horses and ponies are 
jolly! " whereupon Philip and John went off 
into an animated discussion about the horses of 
the Royal Stables, and how much they envied 
the men who cared for them. 

** Oh, what a sweet little village! " cried 



ETON SCHOOL 105 

Betty, jumping up excitedly, as the automobile 
slowed down and entered a little narrow lane. 

Chalfont St. Giles is an extremely pic- 
turesque, old-time village. Its thatched-roofed 
cottages huddle together in a beautiful green 
valley, and about the edge of a pond where ducks 
swim, and happy, barefooted children play. One 
of the old houses is a place of interest to many, 
as the great poet, John Milton, lived there after 
he fled from London at the time of the plague. 

The poet's home is a most primitive cottage 
with low ceilings, and a little dark room, lighted 
by one casement window, in which he may have 
written part of ^' Paradise Lost." When 
standing in that chamber, one is reminded of the 
well-known picture which shows the blind Mil- 
ton dictating one of his poems to a daughter. 
Outside is a delightful old-fashioned garden in 
which the largest and reddest of poppies grow, 
and where it is said that Milton loved to linger. 

" I wish we needn't hurry," sighed Mrs. Pitt, 
'' but I'm afraid we'll be late to dinner. See, 
we are short of time already ! " 

So they quickly took their seats again for the 
short trip back to town, and drew their wraps 
about them, as the air had grown chilly. They 



io6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

all felt rather tired, and were silent as they re- 
viewed in mind the history and scenes of Wind- 
sor Castle, one of the most beautiful and cer- 
tainly the most famous of English royal resi- 
dences. 



CHAPTEE NINE 

MORE ABOUT LONDON 

** Big Ben," tlie great bell on the clock- tower, 
was just booming ten deep strokes as onr party 
neared the Houses of Parliament. A steadily 
rushing stream of people, buses, hansoms, and 
trucks (not forgetting bicycles, which are still 
numerous in England), was pouring across 
Westminster Bridge, and swinging around the 
comer into the wide street called Whitehall; 
but in the near vicinity of the graceful, long 
building, with its pinnacles and spires, in which 
the English laws are made, all was quiet and few 
people were moving about. In a square court 
from which steps lead down to the river, a sen- 
tinel was pacing back and forth. 

" In the days when the Thames was the most 
used highway of the Londoners, here was prob- 
ably one of the places where the nobles could 

step on shore from their luxurious barges." 

107 



io8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Mrs. Pitt said this as they were looking down 
upon the soldier from the street above. 

Close up against one side of the Houses of 
Parliament is Westminster Hall, with its quaint 
row of supporting buttresses. This ancient 
edifice was built by William Eufus, the son of 
the Conqueror himself. Having entered by St. 
Stephen's Porch, the usual approach, they went 
down a few steps at the left into this fine old 
room. It is empty now, and its vastness is 
unadorned except by some statues of kings and 
queens along the sides. 

'' This hall," stated Mrs. Pitt, " was first be- 
gun by William Rufus, but it has been restored 
and added to at various times by many of the 
other sovereigns. It also formed part of the 
ancient Palace of Westminster. I want you to 
notice especially the oak roof with its heavy 
timbers, and unsupported by any columns. 
It is considered very fine in its construction, and 
I think it beautiful, as well. Have you the 
guidebook, Philip? Read to us some of the 
great events of the hall while we stand here. ' ' 

So Philip began. ' ' Well, some of the earliest 
meetings of Parliament were held here; also, 
all the kings as far down the line as George IV 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 109 

have celebrated their coronation feasts in this 
hall. Here Charles I was tried and condemned 
(there's a brass in the floor which marks where 
he stood at the trial), and here Cromwell in 
royal purple robes was received as Lord Pro- 
tector. Some of the others who were tried here 
are William Wallace, the Scotch patriot, Sir 
Thomas More, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Guy Fawkes, 
and the Earls of Essex and Strafford. Until 
very recently the Law Courts adjoined here." 

*' Thank you, Philip; now, if you are ready, 
Betty, we'll go on and see something more of 
this great building. ' ' 

It gives one a slight idea of the extent of the 
huge structure to know that therein are one hun- 
dred stairways and eleven hundred rooms ! Vis- 
itors are shown the '' King's Eobing-room, " the 
'' Victoria or Royal Gallery," the " Prince's 
Chamber," and so many rooms and corridors, 
that it is impossible to remember them all, or 
even to appreciate them at the time of a visit. 
Fine wall paintings, statues, and rich decora- 
tions of all kinds abound. Both the rooms where 
sit the House of Peers and the House of Com- 
mons, respectively, are magnificent apartments ; 
perhaps the former is rather more splendid in 



no JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

appearance, with its stained-glass windows pic- 
turing all the English sovereigns, its frescoes, 
and throne, with the gilded canopy. 

As they finally passed out and started over 
toward Westminster Abbey, Mrs. Pitt said: 

" It was at one of these entrances (perhaps at 
the very one by which we just left), that a most 
curious thing happened in 1738. It had just been 
decided that ladies should no longer be permit- 
ted in the galleries of the Houses. Certain 
noble dames who were most indignant at this 
new rule, presented themselves in a body at the 
door. They were, of course, politely refused 
admission, and having tried every known means 
of gaining entrance, they remained at the door 
all day, kicking and pounding from time to time. 
Finally, one of them thought of the following 
plan. For some time they stood there in per- 
fect quiet ; some one within opened a door to see 
if they were really gone, whereupon they all 
rushed in. They remained in the galleries un- 
til the ' House rose,' laughing and tittering so 
loudly that Lord Hervey made a great failure of 
his speech. Wasn't that absurd? It seems that 
there were ' Suffragettes ' long before the twen- 
tieth century." 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 1 1 1 

Arrived at tlie Poets' Corner once again, they 
found that on© of the vergers was just about 
to conduct a party '' in behind the scenes," as 
Barbara called it. '' Behind the scenes " in- 
cludes the Chapel of Henry VII and that of 
Edward the Confessor, besides the many smaller 
ones which surround the choir. 

These little irregular chapels are crowded 
with all sorts of tombs, from those of the long 
effigy to those of the high canopy. Sometimes a 
husband and wife are represented on the tomb, 
their figures either kneeling side by side, or 
facing each other. Often the sons and daugh- 
ters of the deceased are shown in quaint little 
reliefs extending all around the four sides of a 
monument. The figures are of alabaster or 
marble, and there are frequently fine brasses 
on them which bear the inscriptions. It is inter- 
esting to remember that the effigy or reclin- 
ing figure of a Crusader always has the legs 
crossed. 

A flight of black marble steps leads up to 
Henry VII 's Chapel. Betty thought this re- 
minded her a little of the choir of St. George's 
Chapel at Windsor, — and it is true that the two 
are somewhat similar. To build this memorial 



112 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

to himself, Henry YU tore down another chapel, 
and also an old house in which the poet Chaucer 
once lived. The loveliest feature of this chapel 
is the ' ' fan-tracery ' ' of the ceiling. Its delicacy 
and grace are very beautiful ! There are won- 
derfully carved oak choir-stalls here also, each 
having been assigned to a certain Knight of the 
Order of the Bath, and decorated with the 
Ejiight's armorial bearings. Above each stall 
is a sword and a banner of faded colors. The 
tomb of the founder, Henry VII, and of his 
wife, Elizabeth of York, is in the center of 
the chapel, and surrounded by a brass screen. 
George II and several members of his family, 
Edward VI, Charles II, William and Mary, 
Queen Anne and her consort, and Crom- 
well, are all buried near by — most of them 
having no monuments. In the north aisle of this 
chapel is the tomb of the great Queen Elizabeth, 
and just opposite it, in the south aisle, is that 
of her cousin and enemy, poor Mary Queen of 
Scots. 

Just behind the high altar is the chapel of 
Edward the Confessor, containing the once 
splendid, mediaeval tomb of that sainted King. 
Its precious stones have been stolen away now, 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 113 

and the whole is covered by a gorgeous cloth put 
there at the coronation of Edward VII. 

'' I've seen the tombs of so many kings and 
queens, ' ' exclaimed John, heaving a sigh, ' ' that 
I truly can't take in any more. Why, they're 
so thick all around here that you can't move 
without bumping into three or four of 'em! 
There's Henry V, and overhead the shield and 
helmet he used at Agincourt ; and here's Edward 
I, and Eichard II, and Edward III, and Queen 
Eleanor, and Queen Philippa. Who was she? 
Oh, here's the old Coronation Chair, isn't 
it? " At sight of this, he once more became 
interested. 

This famous old chair was made in the time of 
Edward I, and every English sovereign since 
that day has been crowned in it. Underneath 
the seat of the chair is kept the ancient Stone 
of Scone, which is said to have been used as a 
pillow by the patriarch Jacob. Edward I, in 
1297, brought the stone from Scotland as a sign 
of his power over that country, and placed it in 
the Abbey. King Edward Ill's sword and 
shield-of-state stand beside the chair. There is 
something about these three objects which 
makes one stand long before them. They are so 



114 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ancient — so deeply impressive — and embody so 
much of English history itself. 

In a little room above one of the smaller 
chapels are found the curious Wax Effigies. 
These figures made of wax, and of life size, 
were carried at funerals, and were intended to 
look like the deceased, and dressed in their 
clothes. They are very ghastly, robed in their 
faded, torn garments, as each peers out from its 
glass-case. Queen Elizabeth, Charles II, 
William and Mary, Queen Anne, General Monk, 
William Pitt, and Lord Nelson are among those 
represented. 

Betty stood before the figure of Queen Eliza- 
beth, whose waxen face is pinched and worn, 
and really most horrible to look at. 

'^ Didn't she die propped up on the floor in all 
her State robes 1 ' ' asked Betty. 

'' Yes," was Mrs. Pitt's reply. " It isn't 
any wonder that she looked like that, is it I She 
is said to have been beautiful in her youth, but 
later, she became so very ugly that her ladies-in- 
waiting got false looking-glasses, for they didn't 
dare to allow their mistress to see her 
wrinkles. ' ' 

After lingering for a short time in the grand 




Oh, here's the old Coronation Chair, isn't it?" — Page 113. 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 115 

old Abbey, they all mounted a bus and rode 
down to Bishopsgate Street to take lunch at 
Crosby Hall.* This splendid old example of a 
London mediaeval palace (having had a varied 
career since its great days), is now turned into 
a restaurant, and our party took seats at a long 
table in what was once the Banqueting-hall. 

'' This is really a very historic old house," 
declared Mrs. Pitt. '' It was built in 1470 by 
Alderman Sir John Crosby, who died about the 
time it was finished, and it passed into the hands 
of the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard 
III. Here, that cruel man had the news of the 
successful murder of the little Princes in the 
Tower, and here held his great feasts — in this 
room, I suppose." 

They were all looking about at the lofty hall 
with its carved oak ceiling, minstrels' gallery, 
stained-glass windows, and large fireplace. 

*' This has recently all been restored, and I 
suppose it gives us a very slight idea of its past 
glory. Later on. Sir Thomas More lived here, 
and then Philip Sidney's sister, the Countess of 

* Crosby Hall was taken down in 1908, but is soon to 
be re-erect6d in Chelsea, near the site of the home of Sir 
Thomas More. 



ii6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Pembroke, owned it. Shakespeare mentions it 
in his play of ' Richard III,' you know. In 
mediseval times, there were many great houses 
in London (Baynard's Castle and Cold Harbour 
foremost among them), but all except a little 
part of Crosby Hall have disappeared. The 
owners of these houses, the wealthy nobles, lived 
in great magnificence, having four, six, or even 
eight hundred servants. Just fancy how large 
the establishments must have been! In Queen 
Elizabeth's day, the French Ambassador was 
lodged here with four hundred retainers. At 
that time, there were more great palaces in 
London than there were in Verona, Florence, 
Venice, and Genoa, all counted together ; but in- 
stead of being situated on the Grand Canal or 
in a spacious square, the English palaces stood 
in narrow, filthy streets, surrounded by the poor 
hovels of the common people. — It seems to me 
that our lunch is a long time coming, ' ' she com- 
mented. 

Adjoining Crosby Hall is a very interesting 
church — St. Helen's, which has been called the 
'^ Westminster Abbey of the City," because of 
famous citizens of " the City," who are buried 
there. Among them is Sir Thomas Gresham, 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 117 

tlie great mercliaut of Queen Elizabeth's reign, 
wIlo founded the Eoyal Exchange, and did much 
to increase London's trade. The church — dat- 
ing mostly from the thirteenth to the fifteenth 
century — is very quaint and old. It consists 
of two parallel naves, divided by pillars. 

' ' The church was once connected with an an- 
cient nunnery which covered the whole square 
outside. The naves were originally quite sep- 
arated by a partition ; one side was used by the 
nuns, and the other by the regular members of 
the parish. Shakespeare once lived in St. 
Helen's parish, and is charged up on the church 
books with a sum of something over five 
pounds." Mrs. Pitt gave this information as 
they walked about, gradually growing accus- 
tomed to the dim light. 

' ' See here, John, ' ' whispered Philip ; ' ' here 's 
something interesting. It's this little square 
hole in the wall, which is called the ' nuns' 
squint.' That woman, whom I suppose is the 
caretaker, has just been telling me what that 
means. You see, the nunnery was on this side, 
or, at any rate, the part where the nuns slept. 
When a nun was dying, the rest would carry her 
"to that little ' squint,' and in that way she 



ii8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

could look througli to the cliurcli and see the 
altar.'* 

Leaving St. Helen's Place, and passing the 
picturesque, narrow fagade (or front) of Crosby 
Hall, Mrs. Pitt took them along Cheapside, one 
of the most crowded streets of the city. The 
amount of traffic is tremendous there, and it is 
said that sometimes teams are held eight hours 
in the alleys before they can get out. They 
noted Bow Church, and the site of John Gilpin's 
house at the corner of Paternoster Eow. 

" Oh, is that the John Gilpin in Cowper's 
poem? " cried John, excitedly. " He lived here, 
did he? And where did he ride to? " 

" I believe he went out through Tottenham 
and Edmonton. Mrs. Gilpin was at the Bell 
Inn at Edmonton when she saw her husband fly 
by. Over the entrance at the Bell is such a 
funny picture of the scene! They don't know 
just where he went, do they, Mother? " inquired 
Barbara. 

" No, I rather think not," was Mrs. Pitt's 
laughing answer. " Let's walk through Pater- 
noster Eow, now. The little bookshops are so 
old and quaint! For centuries the booksellers 
have been loyal to this locality, but I hear that 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 119 

they are beginning to move elsewhere now. 
Here's Amen Comer, and Ave Maria Lane is 
not far away. In London, there's a reason for 
the name of almost every street. The monks, in 
walking from the river to St. Paul's, used to be 
telling their beads and reciting their prayers 
all the while. You see, the Ave Maria was said 
at this point, and back at the corner came an 
Amen. In olden days, the makers of rosaries 
and paternosters had their shops in the little 
street we have just left, as well as the book- 
sellers. The streets leading off Cheapside show 
what business was carried on there; for in- 
stance, on the south side are Bread, Candles, 
Soap, Fish, and Money-changing; and on the 
north side are Wood, Milk, Iron, Honey, and 
Poultry. By the by, the poet Milton was born 
in Bread Street. The ironmongers congregated 
in Ironmongers Lane; the vintners or wine- 
merchants were in the Vintry; and the makers 
of hosiery in Hosiery Lane. Now we'll go to 
Chancery Lane, and pay a short visit to the Rec- 
ord Office, for there are some things there which 
I want you to see. ' ' 

The Public Record Office is a modem build- 
ing, constructed for the purpose of keeping the 



I20 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

valuable State documents and archives, which, 
during the present reign, have been moved from 
the Tower and the Chapter House of Westmin- 
ster Abbey. The different departments of gov- 
ernment are continually handing over to the 
Eecord Office papers which are no longer needed 
for daily use. Among the intensely interesting 
treasures of this museum are the logbooks of 
the Eoyal Navy, and dispatches from Marlbor- 
ough, Wellington, and others. There are State 
papers of Wolsey, and Thomas Cromwell, and 
letters of all the kings and queens, as well as of 
Chaucer, the Black Prince, Ealeigh at the 
Tower, Lady Jane Grey as Queen, Sir Philip 
Sidney on his death-bed, and many, many others 
of equal interest. 

" Why, you'd need a whole week to see all 
these!" exclaimed Betty, looking up from her 
examination of a paper containing the con- 
fessions of Guy Fawkes. 

Mrs. Pitt glanced at her quickly. She was 
excited, and her face was flushed. 

** Yes, and we must not stay any longer, for 
we have seen enough for one day. I want to 
show you just one more thing before we go, 
however, and this is more wonderful than 



MORE ABOUT LONDON 121 

all the rest. See, it is the great Doomsday 
Book! " 

Carefully kept under glass, in cases furnished 
with dark shades to pull over when the books 
are not being examined,, are the two large vol- 
umes of what is known as the " Doomsday 
Book." On the ancient, yellowed parchment 
pages, and in strange old characters, are the rec- 
ords, made at the time of William the Con- 
queror, of the disposal of the lands of England 
among his Norman nobles. It is simply impos- 
sible to believe that it is authentic, — that such a 
very ancient relic really can exist! 

They soon felt tired and ready to leave any 
further examination of the papers until another 
visit, however. There are times when all sight- 
seers, no matter how enthusiastic, come to a 
point where for that day they can appreciate no 
more. So our party adjourned to a little tea- 
shop in Eegent Street, and afterwards, to make 
a few purchases at that fascinating shop, — Lib- 
erty's. 



CHAPTER TEN 

EICHMOND AND HAMPTON COTJBT PALACE 

" Well, I really don't care nrncli how long the 
boat is in coming," exclaimed Betty delightedly. 
" It's such fun to watch all the other boats go- 
ing up and down the river, and to look up at 
busy Westminster Bridge! " 

Our friends were at the little landing in the 
shadow of the above-mentioned bridge, awaiting 
the arrival of the steamer which was to carry 
them to Kew Gardens. It was early morning, 
and the distant roar of the traffic from the great 
bridge above reached them together with the 
shrill whistles of all the different river craft. 

' * Hey ! There goes Sir Walter Raleigh under 
the bridge there! I can see the name just as 
plainly! And, — ^well I never! — ^there come 
Lady Jane Grey and Sir Thomas More! Do all 
the boats have names like that? Wonder how 
the great people would like it if they knew ! Sir 
Thomas is an express; he's on official business 

122 



RICHMOND 123 

this morning, and isn't going to stop! Now! 
here comes Queen Elizabeth herself! Nothing 
less than a queen for me! I hope we'll take 
her ! ' ' John cried excitedly. 

The Queen Elizabeth did prove to be the 
Kew and Hampton Court boat, so when the 
gangway was put across, the five went on board 
and took some comfortable seats in the bow. 

^' Now, there are a number of things which I 
wish to point out to you right away, ' ' remarked 
Mrs, Pitt, " so please be very attentive for a 
few moments. Just as soon as we are started 
and go under Westminster Bridge here, you will 
have the most beautiful view of the Houses of 
Parliament, on your right. There ! See if the 
great building isn't graceful from here! And 
isn't its river-front imposing with all the statues 
of the sovereigns ! 

" Now! Quickly! Look to the left, and see 
the building with the gate-way and square, 
blackened towers and battlements. That's 
Lambeth Palace, ' ' she added, * * which has been 
the residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury 
(or the ' Primates of England,' as they are 
called) for six hundred years. It 's a delightful 
old place, with its fine library, and its several 



124 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

court-yards! It's very Mstoric as well, for in 
one of those towers, according to some people, 
the Lollards or followers of the religious re- 
former, Wycliff e, are said to have been tortured. 
Queen Elizabeth's favorite, the unfortunate 
Earl of Essex, was imprisoned there, too. 

" Here on our left was the famous amuse- 
ment-park, Vauxhall, which was so popular in 
the eighteenth century. Some day when you 
read Thackeray's novels you will find it men- 
tioned. There on the right is Chelsea, where 
was Sir Thomas More's home. I think his 
grounds bordered on the river, and he used to 
walk down to the bank, step into his boat, and 
his son would row him to the city. At his house 
there he was often visited by Henry VIII, Hol- 
bein, and the great Dutch scholar, Erasmus. 
Just behind those trees is Cheyne Walk, where 
Thomas Carlyle's house still stands. (There's 
the old Chelsea Church, which is most interest- 
ing, and Chelsea Hospital for old pensioners.) 
There have been many famous residents of 
Chelsea in more recent days; among them 
George Eliot, the great novelist, who died there ; 
Edward Burne- Jones, the artist; Eossetti, the 
poet; Swinburne, Meredith, and Whistler. 



RICHMOND 125 

There ! now I'll leave you in peace to enjoy your 
boat-ride, and the music." 

They now came to a part of the river which 
is neither especially historic nor attractive, and 
the young people amused themselves for a while 
in talking, or listening to the rather crude music 
of some old musicians on the boat. It was not 
long, however, before the banks again became 
green and beautiful, and they passed odd little 
villages, and comfortable country-houses, whose 
smooth terraces slope down to the river. On 
the arrival of the boat at Kew, they went on 
shore and walked towards the celebrated 
Gardens. 

^ ' Have Kew Gardens any story or history to 
them, or are they just famous because of their 
flowers'? " inquired Betty, as they passed 
through the gate-way, and caught glimpses of 
bright blossoms within. 

" Oh, rather! " replied Mrs. Pitt. '' You'll 
find plenty of history about here, Betty. Let's 
look at the flowers first, though." 

Kew Gardens are most immaculately cared 
for. Wide gravel-paths stretch between the 
wonderful lawns, which are dotted with flower- 
beds of all shapes. There are hot-houses con- 



126 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

taining tropical plants, and in the " Eock Gar- 
den " is a pond wliere there are pelicans and 
other strange water birds. The party spent an 
hour very happily in wandering about, admiring 
the beautiful views as they went. Best of all 
were the rhododendrons, which were glorious at 
this season in their riot of pink, deep rose color, 
and lavender. Betty, who dearly loved flowers, 
could hardly be enticed away from that fasci- 
nating spot, and was only persuaded at mention 
of the old palace, which she had not yet seen. 

"When she reached it, she was rather disap- 
pointed. Kew Palace is not large, and al- 
together, is quite unlike a palace, although it 
was the favorite residence of George HI and his 
queen, who died there in 1818. 

'* It just looks like any old red-brick Tudor 
house, which hasn't any history at all. Even 
its rooms are all empty, and it isn't the kind of 
a palace I like! " Betty declared in injured 
tones. 

" Well, cheer up, Betty; we're going to 
Hampton Court Palace soon, and I guess that'll 
suit you all right. Is this where we take the 
tram, Mrs. Pitt? There's one coming now! " 
John ran out into the road and gesticulated 



RICHMOND 127 

frantically, so that the motorman would be sure 
to stop. That dignified English personage 
looked rather surprised, but John did not care. 
He liked to take the lead, and to make himself 
useful whenever it was possible. 

The ride was not quite as enjoyable as they 
had hoped, because of a very high wind. Upon 
their perch at the top of the tram, it required 
about all their attention to keep their hats and 
other belongings from blowing away. On the 
whole, they were quite content to get off at the 
bridge at Richmond, and walk up the long hill 
to the famous Star and Garter Inn. 

" This hill seems longer than ever to-day, 
Mother," Barbara complained. '' When we 
reach that lovely surprise view (you know where 
I mean), let's sit down and admire it while we 
rest a bit. ' ' 

<< Very well, we will," her mother panted; 
*' we're nearly there now." 

The view to which Barbara and her mother 
referred proved to be really very beautiful. On 
one side of the hill is a little park from which 
a precipice descends to the river. Looking 
through an opening in the luxuriant foliage of 
the trees (an opening which takes the place of a 



128 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

picture-frame), one sees a glorious view of the 
green valley below, through which the lazy 
Thames winds dreamily ; and if the day is clear, 
Windsor Castle may just be discerned in the 
distance. 

' ' Philip, you and John go and engage one of 
those drivers over opposite the hotel, to take us 
for a little drive in the Park; as soon as I 
order our luncheon, I'll be out again to go 
along." With that, Mrs. Pitt disappeared for 
a few moments into the Star and Garter. 

Richmond Park is a favorite resort for tour- 
ists, and driving and bicycle parties. It con- 
tains some fine old trees, and a great many deer 
which add to its attractiveness. Mrs. Pitt di- 
rected the coachman not to drive about much, 
however, but to show them two points of in- 
terest. 

" This is the ' King's Mound,' " she observed, 
as the horses slowed down. " Yes, that little 
low mound of earth just this side of the clump 
of trees. I'll admit that it looks uninteresting 
enough ; but it is known as the spot where Henry 
VIII stood while listening for the sound of the 
gun at the Tower, which told him of the execu- 
tion of Anne Boleyn." 



RICHMOND 129 

'^ Ugh! " Betty interposed, in disgusted 
tones, giving a little shudder. " Think how he 
must have felt ! Horrid old thing ! ' ' 

' ' Don 't be silly, Betty ! ' ' retorted John. * ' I 
guess a little thing like that wouldn't trouble 
him! " 

Almost in the center of the Park is a house 
called White Lodge, which has long been a royal 
residence. It is approached by an avenue, 
which was the scene of Jeanie Deans 's interview 
with Queen Caroline, as Scott describes it in his 
" Heart of Midlothian." 

Their lunch was quickly over, and they were 
again on their way down the long hill. In the 
town of Richmond, they mounted another 
tram for the forty-minute ride to Hampton 
Court. 

" If we only had had a bit more time," Mrs. 
Pitt apologized, '' I should have shown you 
what still remains of the famous old palace of 
Richmond. Henry VIII and Elizabeth both 
held their courts there often, and there the latter 
died in 1603. The palace was destroyed by 
order of Parliament in 1649 ; only a small part 
of it was spared, and in that the widow of 
Charles I, poor Queen Henrietta Maria, was al- 



130 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

lowed to live. Are you getting plenty of his- 
tory, Betty, my dear? " 

*' Oh, yes, bnt I'm always ready for more," 
smiled that young lady in response. 

The tram set them down very near the great 
palace of Hampton Court. They went quickly 
through the entrance-gates of wrought iron, and 
walked towards the building itself. This West 
Front is as Wolsey left it, and is made of the 
old crimson bricks, with here and there a black 
one. Passing under the gatehouse, they came 
into the Green or Base Court, and here they 
paused to look about them. 

" You'll remember that the great and power- 
ful Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court,'* 
suggested Mrs. Pitt. ' ' He lived in regal state, 
and had almost as large a retinue of servants 
and followers as the King himself. To gratify 
his great love for splendor and luxury, he built 
this magnificent residence for himself. He was 
in need of a home a little removed from the city, 
where he could rest and enjoy the fresh air. 
Yet it was also accessible to London, for he 
could be rowed up the river in his barge. Wol- 
sey 's two great ambitions — ^wealth and power 
— ^were both gratified, and for a while all went 



HAMPTON COURT PALACE 131 

well; but time brought the King's displeasure, 
and it was he who took possession at Hampton 
Court after the complete disgrace which led 
to the death of the Cardinal. Henry VIII tore 
down some of Wolsey's buildings, and put up 
new ones in their stead; and other monarchs 
added portions also ; for instance, the huge State 
Apartments were erected under the supervision 
of Sir Christopher Wren, and by order of King 
William III. We shall see all these later on. 
Have you noticed those little oriel windows of 
the gatehouse ? They are the originals of Wol- 
sey's palace, and I think this court here is also 
much the same as he built it. In his day there 
were pretty latticed windows in these surround- 
ing buildings, a grass plot in the center, and 
around these narrow passages Wolsey probably 
rode on his ass." 

' ' Ass ! ' ' cried John. * ' What for? With all 
his money, couldn't he even have a horse? " 

''Oh, rather!" Mrs. Pitt laughed. "No 
doubt Wolsey would have liked one, but he was 
wise enough to always follow custom in such 
matters as had to do with his outward appear- 
ance and attitude. All religious men rode on 
asses ; it was the habit of the day. Now, come 



132 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

this way, and see the Great Hall. Oh, Philip 1 
Please fetch me my mnbrella; I left it on the 
step in the court, there ! ' ' 

Leading into the second or Clock Court, is 
Anne Boleyn's gateway. Under this is a broad 
flight of stairs which takes one to the Great Hall, 
erected by Henry VIII, probably on the site of 
Wolsey's earlier hall. It is a grand old room 
with a fine timber roof, and complete with its 
dais or raised platform at the end, its minstrels ' 
gallery over the entrance doors, its old tapes- 
tries, stags' heads, and suits of armor, and its 
windows mostly filled with modem stained- 
glass. Out of the hall are two smaller apart- 
ments, which also contain good tapestries. 
From here, the visitor again descends to Anne 
Boleyn's Gateway. 

*' What a funny old clock! " exclaimed Betty, 
spying it, up above on the tower under which 
they had just passed. '■ ' It seems to be so mixed 
up, somehow, that I can't tell the time by it." 

''It is curious! It's Henry VIII's Astro- 
nomical Clock ; it has all sorts of appliances and 
strange attachments. That's why you can't 
read it. It was recently repaired and set going 
again. ' ' 



HAMPTON COURT PALACE 133 

*' The King's Grand Staircase " is broad, 
stately, and quite as impressive as its name, and 
this leads to the pompous State Apartments. 
These great square rooms, one opening out of 
another, seemed endless to the young people, 
and contained no attractions for them. The 
walls are covered with pictures, some of which 
are fine, but there are so many which are very 
similar that even Sir Peter Lely, Holbein, and 
Van Dyck become hopelessly tiresome. These 
rooms also contain some old furniture which is 
interesting, but on the whole, the best thing 
about them is the ever charming view of the gar- 
dens from the windows. The visitor may enter 
one tiny room called '" Wolsey's Closet," which 
is deeply impressive with its paneled walls and 
ancient ceiling. The very atmosphere of the 
sixteenth century still seems to linger here, and 
one can easily believe that nothing herein has 
been changed since the great Cardinal used it 
daily. Near this is a long gallery which is 
supposed to be haunted by the ghost of Queen 
Catharine Howard. After the dullness of the 
State Apartments, this possessed great interest 
for the boys, and they lingered here as long 
as Mrs. Pitt would allow. They were forced to 



134 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

come away disappointed, however, without hav- 
ing heard even one little scream. 

" Yon'd better spend the night here, John," 
remarked Philip, in teasing tones. *' That's 
the proper time to see and hear ghosts." John 
decided not to wait, however. 

Of all the one thousand rooms of the great 
palace, they saw only one more, and that was 
Henry VIII 's Gothic Chapel, gorgeous in its fine 
carving and gilding, and in which the mag- 
nificent ceremony of the baptism of Prince Ed- 
ward, afterwards Edward VI, was held. 

The gardens of Hampton Court are perhaps 
better known and enjoyed than the palace itself. 
They are very extensive, and are laid out in the 
French style. Directly before the long front 
of William Ill's addition, is a great round basin 
with a fountain, and beyond stretches the 
" Long Canal," — a straight and narrow arti- 
ficial pond, bordered by very beautiful trees. 
Then there is the " Home Park " on either side 
of the canal; here Henry VIH and Catharine 
Howard probably wandered often during their 
long honeymoon at Hampton Court; and here 
William III was riding on the day when he 
was thrown from his horse and killed. 



HAMPTON COURT PALACE 135 

There is what is called the " Wilderness," — 
in reality a maze — ^which was greatly enjoyed 
by the party; and nearer the palace, again, is the 
tennis-court, where that game has been played 
for three centuries and a half. Some of the 
players here have been Henry VIII, the Earl of 
Leicester, Charles I, Charles II, and the 
present King, Edward VII, when he was Prince 
of Wales. 

^' And didn't that American, Pettitt, play 
here? " inquired John. '' He won the World's 
Championship in England, you know. Yes, I 
thought it was here, though the word Hampton 
Court never meant much to me before to- 
day." 

There is still the remarkable Hampton Court 
Vine, the fame of which has spread so far. The 
vine fills a whole greenhouse, and one of its 
branches is a hundred and fourteen feet long. 
The attendant told Betty that the crop consists 
of about eight hundred bunches, each one weigh- 
ing a pound. Having duly marveled at this, 
they explored Queen Mary's lovely bower or 
arbor, where that Queen used to sit with her 
ladies at the tapestry-frames. 

** Dear me, let's go back now! " said Betty. 



136 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

"I'm sure we've been miles over these 
grounds. ' ' 

So they walked along the paths where Henry 
VIII made love to Anne Boleyn and Catharine 
Howard, where Queen Elizabeth took her morn- 
ing walks, and where Pope, Swift, Addison, and 
Walpole wandered in more recent days. 

'' I think I haven't mentioned Cromwell to 
you in connection with Hampton Court, but he 
must not be forgotten, for he came here after he 
was made Protector, and lived with as much 
pomp and splendor as any king. Every time I 
visit this palace I marvel at the amount of his- 
tory with which it is connected, and at the num- 
ber of scenes for which it was the setting ! ' ' 

As she spoke, Mrs. Pitt was leading the way 
to the railroad-station. A London train came 
along very soon, fortunately, but they ran up 
and down in vain looking for seats in their cus- 
tomary third-class compartment. These were 
all crowded, the following day being a '' bank 
holiday," so when the guard at last came to 
their rescue, he put them in a first-class com- 
partment. This greatly interested John and 
Betty, as they had not seen one before. 

'' It isn't so very different, after all," com- 



HAMPTON COURT PALACE 137 

merited Betty. V The cushions are a little nicer, 
and there's carpet on the floor, but that's the 
only change from an ordinary third-class car- 
riage. ' ' 

" I know it," said Philip. '' And most Eng- 
lish people never think of traveling first-class 
except on a long journey; for it really is very 
little better, and the price is so ruinously dear ! ' ' 



CHAPTER ELEVEN 



STEATFOED-ON-AVON" 



'' We'ee going to stay in a really, truly old 
iQii at last, aren't we! " Betty gave a sigh of 
satisfaction and walked rapidly along by Mrs. 
Pitt's side, as that lady led the way from the 
station at Stratford to the famous Eed Horse 
Hotel. 

'' Stratford is exactly like any other little 
English town, ' ' John was commenting to Philip. 
* ' There are plenty of new houses made of shiny, 
red bricks, and all put close together in blocks, 
with their tiny lawns and gardens in front. I 
suppose they build that way even in the small 
towns, because you haven't as much room to 
spread out as we have in America. Too bad, 
though, I say! Makes a little town look just 
like a big city, only smaller. I thought Strat- 
ford would be different ! ' ' His tones betrayed 
not a little disappointment. 

As they came into the central and older part 
138 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 139 

of the town, however, even Jolui was forced to 
admit that it was " different," after all. Along 
Stratford's narrow, clean little streets stand 
many old houses adorned with great oak tim- 
bers, quaint inscriptions, and carvings; and 
quicker than all else, the sight of these, re- 
maining here and there between the more mod- 
em structures, makes one feel the antiquity of 
the place. These houses totter a little, and lean 
their upper stories over the street, — perhaps 
with a kind of curiosity to see better the strange 
and more and more startling scenes which the 
centuries bring forth. For instance, what 
must these ancient houses, which perchance wit- 
nessed the passing of some splendid pageant of 
the '* spacious times of Queen Elizabeth," think 
of the bustle and prosperous commercial air 
which the town has gradually taken on? What 
of the sight-seers whose automobiles go tearing 
along, uttering weird and frightful sounds? No 
wonder the old houses stand on tiptoe and bend 
farther and farther over the street in their 
amazement and horror ! 

The young people were delighted with the odd 
little Eed Horse Hotel. As it was market-day, 
the wide street before it was crowded with peo- 



I40 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

pie, and down the middle was a row of queer, 
covered wagons, in which the farmers bring 
their produce, and which are used as stalls on 
arrival at the market-place. The little hotel is 
severely plain and square, and has a passage 
leading into an old-time court-yard. Inside, it 
has quaint little rooms filled with antique fur- 
niture, narrow corridors, and uneven floors, 
with here a step up, and there two steps down. 
Leaving their luggage in the rooms assigned to 
them, the party immediately set out for '' the 
Birthplace," as all Stratford people invariably 
call the famous Shakespeare house on Henley 
Street. 

*' Is that it! " gasped John, as they stood 
on the opposite side of the way and gazed across 
at the first home of the great Poet. " Why, I 
didn't suppose it was as big as that! And it 
doesn't look old a bit ! " 

Shakespeare's birthplace has been too often 
pictured, and is far too familiar to all to need 
any description given it here. Perhaps it does 
seem rather larger than we imagined, and the 
outside certainly looks surprisingly strong and 
new. 

" But you know it now belongs to the na- 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 141 

tion," Mrs. Pitt explained, '' and is always kept 
in perfect condition. The last restoration was 
finished only about fifty or sixty years ago. Al- 
though the house was so completely renewed, 
the greatest care was used to make it look as 
nearly as possible as it did at the time of 
Shakespeare's birth in 1564. That window 
above the entrance, with the little diamond 
panes, is the original, and is in the room in 
which the Poet was born." 

Going under the old porch and through the 
door with its high threshold, our friends found 
themselves in the family living-room of the 
house. It is low and rather dark, and has 
whitewashed walls and an earthen floor. This 
was in all probability the kitchen and dining- 
room as well, and one is reminded of the fact 
by a huge fireplace which juts out into the room. 
In olden times this would have been filled with 
great pots and kettles hanging over the fire 
on cranes. The chimney is deep enough and 
wide enough to have two little seats within it — 
one on either side. John quickly bent down and 
seated himself where he could look straight up 
the chimney and see a square patch of blue sky. 

When Mrs. Pitt saw him, she smiled and said. 



142 JOHN AND BETTY?S HISTORY VISIT 

* ' No doubt, Shakespeare himself, when he was 
a small boy, often sat right there with his 
brothers and sisters. It must have been very 
pleasant on cold winter evenings, to creep into 
these ' inglenooks,' as they were called, beside 
the great blazing fire, and tell stories. I think 
the children should have felt themselves very 
lucky to have such delightfully warm quar- 
ters! " 

From a small entry at the rear of this room, 
the narrow winding stairs lead to the floor 
above. Before going up, Mrs. Pitt wrote their 
names in the huge Visitors' Book. Betty was 
much pleased to find, while carelessly turning 
its pages, the name of a girl friend who had 
been in England the previous summer. 

*' How queer that I should see Evelyn's 
name! " she exclaimed; *' but I guess almost 
everybody who visits England comes to this 
house. ' ' 

' ' Aye ! We 'ave thousands of visitors 'ere 
every year, Miss, and the most of 'em are Amer- 
icans, it do appear to me I They do be power- 
ful fond o' Shakespeare! " The attendant 
shook his head knowingly as he gave Betty this 
information. 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 1 43 

One of the most interesting rooms in thewhole 
world is that chamber on the second floor in 
which the great Shakespeare was born. In it- 
self, it is not in any way remarkable ; it contains 
but a chair or two, and an old table, which holds 
a bust of the Poet. But its plaster walls, low 
ceiling, and even its window-panes, are inscribed 
with the names of great people, — ^poets, authors, 
statesmen, men of all countries, occupations, 
and beliefs, — ^who have journeyed here to pay 
their tribute to the greatest of all poets and 
writers. 

'' Whenever I meet people who believe that 
Lord Bacon or any other man wrote Shake- 
speare's plays, I never discuss the question with 
them, for I have no arguments to withstand 
their claims," said Mrs. Pitt intently. '' I only 
remind myself that if such men as Browning, 
Thackeray, Kean, Scott, and Carlyle, who have 
all left their signatures here, believed that the 
* immortal Shakespeare ' wrote his own plays, I 
can feel safe in believing so, too. Therefore I 
want you to understand, children, that you are 
standing in the room where Shakespeare was 
born, and be glad all your lives when you re- 
member that you have seen it." 



144 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

The other room on the second floor — a kind of 
attic — contains an important picture of Shake- 
speare. It is called the " Stratford Portrait," 
as it was discovered in that native town, and it 
is now thought to have been painted in the 
eighteenth century, from a bust. 

The Shakespeare house is double. In the 
other half, which is now a museum, John 
Shakespeare, the father of the Poet, used to 
have his shop and carry on his trade, or trades, 
for, like many people at that time, he had sev- 
eral. This museum now contains many relics 
of Shakespeare, which are more or less 
authentic, as well as a large number of First 
Editions of his plays. The young people were 
interested in an old desk, much scratched and 
marred, which it is supposed that the Poet used 
when at the Guild School. It is not clear 
whether it was when he was a pupil there, or 
at the time he was " Junior Master," as he is 
thought to have been by some. The desk is long 
and narrow, having but one little opening into 
which a hand could be reached to pull out the 
books. It occurred to John that it would have 
been a very convenient place to hide apples or 
pickles, or any such forbidden articles, as the 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 145 

master could never even suspect their existence 
in that dark interior. 

*' You will see where that desk once stood," 
remarked Mrs. Pitt, " for later, I shall show 
you the old Guild Hall, and the room where the 
Stratford boys had their lessons. Now, we are 
all hungry, and we'll go straight to the Shake- 
speare Hotel and have some luncheon. Don't 
you all approve that plan I " 

Before leaving *' the Birthplace," it must be 
remembered that there exists a really very pic- 
turesque old English garden. In it were planted, 
about fifty years ago, a quantity of the flowers 
which are mentioned in the plays of Shake- 
speare, and the result is a very lovely mass of 
brightly-colored, old-fashioned flowers. 

At the Shakespeare Hotel, they were served 
a typically English luncheon of mutton, peas 
seasoned with mint, greens, and afterwards a 
"gooseberry tart." John and Betty were in 
gales of laughter when the shy, rosy-cheeked 
maid asked if they would have some ^' jammed 
fingers." 

" What in the world does she mean? " in- 
quired Betty, between her giggles. 

" I don't know, I am sure. Do you, Bar- 



146 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

bara? Oh, yes I do! Probably she means 
' jam fingers, ' I have heard the name. Please 
bring us some," Mrs. Pitt requested. 

The '' jammed fingers " proved to be long 
strips of pastry with jam between. They were 
very good, and John and Betty much preferred 
them to the sour gooseberries, to which they had 
not taken at all kindly. 

The Shakespeare Hotel is much like its neigh- 
bor, the Eed Horse, except for the fact that 
each room bears the name of one of Shake- 
speare's plays. 

' ' How lovely it would be to sleep in the ' Bo- 
rneo and Juliet ' room, — if there is one ! ' ' Betty 
sighed. ' * I almost wish we had planned to stay 
here, although I do want to write letters on the 
table in Washington Irving 's room at the Eed 
Horse! " 

Very near the Shakespeare Hotel is what is 
known as the " John Harvard House," * — ^more 
accurately, the girlhood home of the mother of 
John Harvard. It is high and narrow, but fully 
as picturesque as is the nearby Tudor House, 

* This has just recently been restored and presented to 
Harvard College. The old house will in the future serve 
as a rendezvous for visiting Americans. 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 147 

which is large and square. Both are excellent 
examples of Elizabethan houses, and are very 
quaint and pretty. The lower floor of the Tu- 
dor House is a most fascinating shop, in which 
one may find a really astonishing number of 
post-cards, books, pictures, and little souvenirs 
relating to Shakespeare. 

" Seems to me, everything, from the hotel to 
the cheapest post-card, has the name of Shake- 
speare attached to it somehow ! ' ' 

'.' You are quite right, John! " agreed Mrs. 
Pitt. " The modern town has grown up and 
literally lives upon Shakespeare ! Without him, 
and the immense number of visitors which his 
memory brings, Stratford could hardly exist 
at all, as there are no factories or important in- 
dustries here." 

A long, beautiful afternoon of sightseeing fol- 
lowed. First, came a visit to the site of Shake- 
speare's home of New Place, to see the old 
foundations. As they stood looking down at the 
few pathetic remains, Mrs. Pitt explained how 
the house happened to be pulled down. 

'' It was shameful! " she cried indignantly. 
*' I dislike to think of the man who was re- 
sponsible for its destruction. The house was an 



148 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

old one, even in Shakespeare's day, as it was 
probably erected in 1490 by Sir Hugb Clopton. 
A historian named Leland of the sixteenth cen- 
tury says this about New Place and its sur- 
roundings: ' There is a right goodly chappell, 
in a f ayre street towardes the south ende of the 
towne dedicated to the Trinitye; this chappell 
was newly re-edified by one Hugh Clopton, 
Mayor of London; this Hugh Clopton builded 
also by the north side of this chappell a praty 
house of brick and tymbre, wherein he lived in 
his latter dayes and dyed. ' To appreciate that 
fully, you should see the queer old spelling! 
Well, to continue, Shakespeare left New Place 
to his eldest daughter, Susanna Hall, and I 
don't know just how long it remained in the fam- 
ily. However, at length it was in the possession 
of the Rev. Francis Gastrell, who cut down 
Shakespeare's celebrated mulberry- tree be- 
cause too many visitors troubled him by coming 
there to see it. In 1759, he became so angry in 
a quarrel about the taxes imposed upon New 
Place, that he had it torn down and the material 
sold. I can never forgive him for that! It 
seems to me that I never knew of anger having 
led to a more outrageously unjust and deplor- 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 149 

able act! " Mrs. Pitt's eyes flashed, and her 
face was flushed from her feeling of what one 
might almost be pardoned for terming * ' right- 
eous indignation." 

Leaving New Place, they turned into Chapel 
Lane, which borders on one side the grounds 
formerly belonging to the Poet's estate. 

* ' Let me give you just a little description of 
this street in Shakespeare's time," Mrs. Pitt 
reflected. " You must know that sanitary con- 
ditions were fearful then, and that Stratford 
was as bad, if not worse, than other towns in 
that respect. Even as late as 1769, when Gar- 
rick visited here, he considered it ' the most 
dirty, unseemly, ill-paved, wretched-looking town 
in all Britain.' The people had absolutely no 
idea of cleanliness. Li Stratford, there were 
six places where it was lawful to dump rubbish, 
— right in the street ! Just fancy ! Sometimes 
these dumps prevented a man from making his 
way about the town. Chapel Lane was consid- 
ered the worst part of the whole place, for be- 
sides the fact that there was a dump here, the 
neighbors in the vicinity seemed to be more than 
usually untidy and shiftless, — allowing their 
pigs to wander about loose, for instance. That 



150 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

was the kind of street which Shakespeare must 
have entered every time he left his own house. 
Think of it! Some people have, I believe, at- 
tributed his early death to the unhealthful con- 
ditions of his surroundings. Inside the homes, 
things were but little better. People laid rushes 
on the floor in the place of carpets, and these 
became filthy from dirt, mud, and other things 
which clung to them. Fresh rushes were 
brought but seldom. The churches were not 
often swept or cleaned, either. Once, when the 
roof of the Guild Chapel was being repaired, a 
certain man and his wife were appointed to 
sweep the interior and clear away the cobwebs. 
A widow used to sweep the market-place. She 
was provided with her utensils, — a shovel, 
broom-stick, and bundle of twigs — and was paid 
six shillings and eightpence a year. How care- 
fully and how often do you suppose she swept? 
Dear me ! I sometimes have wished that I had 
lived in Queen Elizabeth's age, but when I re- 
member some of the terrible circumstances of 
that time, I cannot be too thankful that I live in 
the twentieth century! " 

They had been standing before the old Guild 
Hall for some few minutes while Mrs. Pitt fin- 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 1 5 1 

ished what she was saying. They now turned 
to admire and examine it more closely. It is a 
building of plaster and huge timbers, long and 
low, with a second story projecting slightly over 
the lower. The old hall on the ground floor is 
said to be where the boy Shakespeare first saw 
a play. A room just above it was the Grammar 
School, which Shakespeare probably attended 
for five years, and where the desk shown at 
*' the Birthplace " may have been used by 
him. 

" It was rather different going to school in 
those days! " declared Mrs. Pitt. '' The hours 
were very long, the lessons hard, and the mas- 
ters strict, and not unwilling to use the rod for 
the slightest misdemeanor. There have been 
terrible stories of boys being much hurt, or even 
killed as a result of this practice. The pupils 
sat on narrow benches, their heavy books 
propped up before them on long tables. It must 
have been very hard to stay here in this dark 
room and listen to the master's voice reciting 
monotonous Latin, while birds sang and the fair 
world of an English summer was just out of 
reach. If Shakespeare was a real boy, — and we 
think he was — ^he was surely describing his own 



152 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

feelings when he wrote the lines in ' As You 
Like It ' about : 

" ' The whining schoolboy, with his satchel, 
And shining morning face, creeping like snail 
Unwillingly to school, — ' " 

As they had already walked a good deal that 
day, Mrs. Pitt found a carriage, and they drove 
to Trinity Church and the Shakespeare Memo- 
rial. On the way, the driver pointed out the 
home of Marie Corelli, the writer. It is an 
attractive, square house, which presents a very 
gay appearance, with a box of bright flowers on 
every window-ledge. 

Trinity Church stands close beside the pic- 
turesque Avon. The waters flow gently against 
the rushes, making a soft music, and the breeze 
just stirs the leaves of the tall trees which keep 
guard over the graves in the church-yard. One 
feels something of the peace and quiet of Stoke 
Poges, but here the presence, — or, rather, the 
memory — of the great Shakespeare hovers over 
all, and every one hastens inside to see the tomb. 

The church is ancient — in part dating from 
the twelfth century — and it contains many in- 
teresting monuments, but somehow the whole 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 153 

seems like one huge memorial to Shakespeare. 
On the floor, at one side of the chancel, is the 
slab which marks the Poet's grave, and which 
bears the famous epitaph, said to have been 
written by himself : 

" Good frend^ for Jesus' sake forbeare 
To digg the dust encloased heare; 
Bleste be y man y spares thes stones, 
And curst be he y moves my bones." 

On the wall above the tomb is the monument, — a 
bust of Shakespeare, on which the original col- 
ors have recently been restored. Nearby are 
buried Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, his 
daughter, Susanna Hall, and her husband, and 
other members of the family. 

For some minutes our party stood quietly 
looking over the altar-rail at the grave and its 
inscription, but finally, the arrival of some loud- 
voiced, laughing tourists, who conscientiously 
made fun of everything they saw, caused them 
to turn away. 

Mrs. Pitt then called their attention to some 
of the stained-glass windows. *' Two of them 
were given by Americans," she said. " This 
one here pictures the Seven Ages of Man, which 



154 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Shakespeare describes in ' As Yon Like It.' Do 
yon see? Now come to the back of the church 
and look at the parish register, which contains 
the record of the baptism and burial of Shake- 
speare. Here it is." 

A glass case holds this precious relic, and by 
studying carefully the quaint old writing, the 
words " Shakespeare " and the dates can be 
traced. 

* * Think how fortunate that this register was 
preserved! " exclaimed Mrs. Pitt, leaning over 
to examine it again. " Important records of 
births, marriages, and deaths, as well as notable 
events, were always kept in these books, and yet 
the people generally did not consider them of 
much value. The parchment leaves were often 
torn out and used to rebind schoolbooks, or to 
line a housewife's cooking-utensils! Fancy! 
Some vergers, however, recognized the great 
worth of these books and preserved them with 
care. Luckily the men of this church were of 
that type." 

Here the modern verger, in his flowing black 
gown, accosted them, and urged them to buy 
some of the Shakespeare Postcards, at a shilling 
each. Having purchased several, and posted 



STR ATFO RD-ON-AVON 1 5 5 

them then and there to various friends, they left 
the church and walked down the lovely path, 
shaded by arching lime-trees. They then drove 
to the Shakespeare Memorial, which also stands 
near the river. 

This large, irregular building of red brick 
and stone, with its one high tower, was erected 
in 1879. In it is a theatre where plays are given 
every spring, on the anniversary of Shake- 
speare's birth, as well as at certain other times. 
The children were amused at seeing a rehearsal 
in progress on the stage. 

*' How absurd Lady Macbeth does look 
strutting about and clasping her hands, dressed 
in that black skirt, shirt-waist, and sailor hat! " 
Betty laughed. 

In this Memorial Building are many photo- 
graphs and paintings of celebrated actors and 
actresses in Shakespearean roles, as well as a 
very fine library. There is so much to be seen 
here — so much detail — that our friends only 
took a very hasty look about, and then went up 
into the tower to see the view. Stretched out 
below them, the quaint little town of Stratford 
and the lovely green meadows through which 
the Avon flows, made a very effective picture ! 



156 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

It was now late afternoon, and the sun was 
getting lower and lower. They did not feel like 
doing any more real sight-seeing, yet it was still 
too delightful out-of-doors to return to the hotel, 
so Mrs. Pitt, who always had some fascinating 
plan ready, suggested that they walk through 
the Weir Brake. 

" What's that. Mother? You never took us 
there! " exclaimed Barbara. 

'' Didn't I? Well, I'll show it to you, and I 
am sure you will like it, too,'^ their mother 
promised. " Come on! We'll cross this little 
foot-bridge, and go along the opposite bank." 

The view of Holy Trinity Church from across 
the river is very charming. The luxuriant 
foliage almost hides it except for the old gray 
spire, which rises most gracefully above the 
tree-tops. They strolled happily along over 
the rough field, Betty stopping sometimes to 
gather a few attractive blossoms to add to her 
bunch of wildflowers. The light was wonder- 
fully soft and lovely, and the sun had gone down 
only to leave behind it a sky glorious in its 
tints of pink and lavender, with the deep blue 
still remaining above. 

*' Now, we're coming to the Weir Brake! " 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 157 

announced Mrs. Pitt triumphantly. " Take 
care, Barbara! Don't trip over that stump! " 

They followed their guide over a stile, across 
a field where the smell of new-mown hay was 
sweet, through some bars, and finally along a 
narrow, rough path on a steep bank close to 
the Avon. This was the beginning of the Weir 
Brake, where Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway 
may perhaps have done their courting, as Mrs. 
Pitt suggested. 

The Avon is narrow at this point, and flows 
rather swiftly. The sunset sky was reflected 
in its waters, which were overshadowed by 
willow trees, rushes, and ferns. On the bank 
was a tangle of underbrush and wild flowers, 
and above, the great trees, — the elms, of which 
Shakespeare so often speaks. As they rambled 
on and on, the trees seemed to grow larger, and 
more and more gnarled and picturesque. 

*' Oh! Can't you just see Titania and Ob- 
eron and all the other fairies dancing here and 
playing games about these trees ! It looks ex- 
actly like a stage-setting for ' As You Like It ' 
or * Midsummer Night's Dream,' " exclaimed 
Betty, who was fascinated with what she saw. 
The evening was just dark enough to produce a 



158 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

weird but beautiful effect of shadows under the 
elm trees. 

*' I'm rejoiced that it appeals to you so, 
Betty! " cried Mrs. Pitt. " That's just as I 
always feel! It seems as though you could 
actually touch spots of which Shakespeare must 
have been thinking when he wrote certain pass- 
ages. And it is a fact that he did often have 
this or similar places in mind ; for, although the 
scene of ' A Midsummer Night's Dream ' was 
supposed to be in Greece, Shakespeare allowed 
his characters and his entire background to be 
as absolutely English as he was himself. You 
know that in olden times, the Forest of Arden 
covered much of Warwickshire ; even these old 
trees with which we are now surrounded, are 
remnants of that splendid woodland which is so 
familiar to us through Shakespeare. It was 
surely in just such a scene that Titania and the 
other fairies danced, and where Snug, Bottom, 
Flute, Snout, and the rest came to practice their 
play, — those so-called Athenians, who were so 
exactly like Stratford tradesmen of Shake- 
speare's day. Certainly it was under just such 
trees that Hermia, and Helena, Lysander, and 
Demetrius wandered! 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 159 

*' And see there where those branches touch 
the water," she soon continued; '^ might not 
that have been the very place where poor 
Ophelia lost her life? Listen! 

" ' There is a willow grows aslant a brook, 

That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; ' 

Isn't that a perfect description of this very- 
spot? And then: 

"'I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, 
Where oxslips and the nodding violet grows, — ' 

Just see the violets all about us here! There 
are the ' pale cowslips,' too! Do you seel Oh, 
it's wonderful, — wonderful to find so many of 
the very flowers which Shakespeare loved and 
talked of so much! — the daisy, the musk-rose 
and woodbine! There's some right by your 
foot, Betty. But come, come, we really must 
go now! We'll go back by the field above, 
where it is not so steep and dark. Come, 
John! " 

So they hurriedly retraced their steps toward 
the town. In skirting the fields on the hill-top, 
they once had to pick their way with some dif- 
ficulty through holes in bristling hedges, and 



i6o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Mrs. Pitt and the girls were forced to run away 
from a buck, but these were little incidents to 
which they were all quite equal^ and they arrived 
at the Eed Horse Hotel, nothing daunted, just 
as the dinner-gong sounded loudly. 



CHAPTER TWELVE 



A DAY IN WAEWICKSHIRE 



Betty did spend the evening ' ' writing letters 
in Washington Irving 's room at the Eed 
Horse," as she had planned. It was in that 
quaint, tiny parlor that Irving wrote his well- 
known paper about Stratf ord-on-Avon, and per- 
haps Betty hoped to benefit by the literary at- 
mosphere. At any rate, the letters were accom- 
plished with great ease and rapidity, after her 
curiosity had been satisfied by an examination 
of the room. 

Washington Irving 's armchair is there, and 
the old poker with which he is said to have 
tended the fire. On the walls hang the pic- 
tures of a number of actors and actresses who 
have played Shakespearean parts. Except for 
these, the room differs very little from the rest 
of the inn. About nine-thirty, the children 
started up to bed, Betty, enthusiastic at the 
prospect of a high four-poster, which " you 
really have to run and give a jump to get into. ' ' 

i6i 



1 62 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

She and Barbara did not stay long awake to en- 
joy it, however, for it seemed as though their 
heads had hardly touched the pillows before the 
maid was calling them, and the bright sun was 
pouring in at the windows. 

Very early they set out to walk " across the 
fields to Anne. ' ' The little village of Shottery, 
where stands the cottage known all the world 
over as '^ Anne Hathaway 's," is only about a 
mile distant from Stratford, and our party gayly 
took the path through the fields, — ^perhaps the 
very one over which Shakespeare trod when he 
was Anne 's lover. This led them first past the 
'* back-yards " of Stratford, then over a stile 
and through the green meadows, where daisies 
and cowslips abound. As they went along, Mrs. 
Pitt repeated to them the following little verse 
from Shakespeare's " Winter's Tale ": 

"Jog on, jog on, the footpath way, 
And merrily hent the stile-a; 
A merry heart goes all the way, 
Your sad tires ia a mile-a." 

The boys learned this, and half-chanted, half- 
sang it over and over while they all kept time 
to the rhythm. 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 163 

** There's Shottery, I guess! " Betty called, 
interrupting the singers, as she caught sight of 
a pretty little group of thatched-roof ed cottages. 
*' It seems a very short ' mile-a,' doesn't it? " 

Anne Hathaway 's cottage is even more pic- 
turesque than its neighbors, or does this only 
seem so because of the associations which it has 
for all? Every one knows the picture of the 
cottage. One end stands close to the country 
road, and in front of it, behind a green hedge, 
is the garden. Growing on the cottage walls 
are at least half a dozen different kinds of 
roses, as well as honeysuckle and jasmine, which 
clamber way up and mingle with the heavy 
thatch. The old casement-windows with their 
thick panes of glass were swung open to let in 
the morning's fresh air. A young girl dressed 
in pink and carrying a broom, appeared on the 
doorstep as Philip opened the gate. She was 
evidently rather surprised to see such early vis- 
itors, but she said they might go in. While Mrs. 
Pitt paused to speak with her, Betty, who had 
already rushed inside, called out: '' Here's the 
old settle ! I know it from its pictures ! " 

Sure enough, there it was, close beside the 
great fireplace, — ^we hope just where it has al- 



1 64 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ways been ever since Anne Hathaway and 
Shakespeare sat there together. 

' ' But, Mother, is that really the same bench, 
and did Anne truly live here? " questioned the 
all too matter-of-fact Barbara. 

' ' My dear daughter, ' ' began Mrs. Pitt, feign- 
ing great severity; " banish that thought im- 
mediately ! Just for one little hour we are go- 
ing to know that Anne did live here, — that Will 
said ' Will you? ' and Anne said ' I will,' right 
on this very bench. I quite refuse to listen to 
any doubts on the subject for to-day! You 
write our names in the book, please, Philip. I'm 
going to rest myself here in Anne's rocking- 
chair! " 

The girl with the broom looked at her visitor 
in a puzzled way, and began, — ^' But, lady, I 

brought that chair here with me only " But 

Mrs. Pitt quickly interrupted her, asking some 
trifling question. Her illusions were not to be 
disturbed, it seemed, and the girl beat a retreat. 

'' Well, Mother," said Philip, '' you aren't 
the only one who has ever believed in the house ! 
Here in this old Visitors' Book are the names of 
Dickens, Longfellow, Holmes, General Grant, 
Edwin Booth, Mary Anderson, and " 




^'/ , // 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 165 

' ' Never mind the rest, Phil ; if General Grant 
said so, it's true! He knew what he was 
talking about! " And so John settled the 
question. 

A flag- stone floor is all this little room can 
boast of, and a low ceiling of huge timbers, but 
it has an air of homelikeness and cosy comfort, 
nevertheless. At the windows are flowers which 
nod to their cousins out in the garden; some 
gray knitting usually lies on the table; and there 
is the huge fireplace with all its cranes, different 
hooks, pots and kettles ; and the crowning glory 
of all, the old oak settle, upon which every vis- 
itor religiously seats himself. 

" Isn't there any upstairs? " demanded John, 
before many minutes. 

' ' Oh, yes ! May we go up, please 1 ' ' Mrs. 
Pitt asked of the attendant. '' Yes, thank you; 
I know the way, and I'll be careful. ' ' 

So they climbed the rickety stairs, and saw a 
little bedroom under the eaves, in which stands 
an old, very forlorn-looking " four-poster." 

*' I'm so glad that tiresome, truthful person 
let us come up alone, ' ' said Mrs. Pitt, panting. 
" If she had come, too, I could not have ex- 
plained that this was Anne's bedroom. She 



1 66 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

used to sit by this window and dream about 
Will, and watch for his coming, too. She '* 

*' Don't spoil it all. Mother," pleaded Bar- 
bara. ' ' Perhaps it really was her room ! ' ' 

" And didn't I just say as much? " her 
mother laughed. '' But seriously! This room 
never appealed to me as does the one below. 
Anne couldn't have been very comfortable up 
here. If she was tall, she could hardly have 
stood up straight because of the slanting 
roof." 

So laughingly, they went downstairs and 
toward the patch of bright yellow sun-flowers in 
the farthest corner of the garden. The young 
girl followed them. ' ' Shall I point out the dif- 
ferent flowers 1 ' ' she timidly inquired. 

They were duly shown the ' ' rosemary for re- 
membrance," the '' pansies for thoughts," and 
a great many others of Shakespeare's loved 
flowers. The view of the cottage from the 
group of tall sun-flowers is most charming. 
There is surely nothing in the world more pic- 
turesque than a thatched-roof . 

Arrived once again at the Eed Horse, they 
all packed up their belongings, and Mrs. Pitt 
went over to the station with a boy, who wheeled 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 167 

the luggage. When the suit-cases were duly 
labeled '* Leamington," and the station-master 
had received his tip of a shilling, to insure his 
remembering them, Mrs. Pitt returned to the 
hotel, where she found five bicycles lined up. At 
sight of her, the rest came running out. ' ' This 
is great ! ' ' cried John, already astride one of 
the bicycles, and impatient for the start. 

" Yes," answered Mrs. Pitt, much pleased by 
the enthusiasm. '' I thought this would be 
rather better than driving out to Charlecote and 
back, and then taking the train to Leamington. 
I know the roads, and am delighted at riding 
once more! I had my divided-skirt with me, 
you see, in case of this very emergency. You 
girls will manage somehow; your skirts are 
fairly short." This was to Barbara and Betty, 
and then they were off. 

The ride of about four miles to Charlecote 
seemed all too short, for, as Betty expressed it, 
*' the roads are so smooth and level that I can't 
stop. My wheel just goes of itself! " They 
first came in sight of Charlecote Park, where 
there are still great numbers of deer. As the 
party passed, the graceful creatures rose from 
the tall grass, making an extremely pretty pic- 



1 68 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ture. They tried in vain to coax them to the 
fence. 

'' Deer in Shakespeare's time must have been 
tamer, or he couldn't have stolen one," observed 
John knowingly. 

'' Isn't the ' Tumble-down Stile ' near here, 
Mother 1 ' ' Barbara questioned. 

" Yes, it's just beyond this turn in the road. 
There it is now ! So long as we are believing all 
we see to-day, I feel quite justified in telling 
you that when the youthful Shakespeare was 
escaping with his deer on his shoulders, he fled 
by way of this stile. Touch that top rail, John, 
and see what will happen. No, this end of the 
rail!" 

As John put his hand on the place which Mrs. 
Pitt designated, that end gave way and hit the 
three other rails, so that they also bent down to 
the ground. John was much amused, and re- 
peated the motion again and again. 

" Did Shakespeare fall over that stile when 
he was trying to climb it with the deer, and did 
they catch him then? " he asked eagerly. 

'' Yes, that's the story, and, of course, we 
know it is true! Now, come this way to the 
gatehouse. I was able to get permission, 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 169 

througli an influential friend, to take you inside. 
I am so glad, for not every one has such good 
fortune. This woodland, ' ' motioning to the fine 
old oaks, as they sped along, ' ' is also a part of 
the ancient Forest of Arden. That wood was 
so dense in this county in the thirteenth cen- 
tury, that the King ordered the Constable of 
Warwickshire to cut down six acres in breadth 
between Warwick and Coventry, to insure the 
greater safety of travelers." 

They were now getting distant glimpses of the 
fine Elizabethan residence itself. It was built 
in 1558, the year of Elizabeth's accession to the 
throne, and was made in the general shape of 
the letter E, in honor of that Queen. The color 
of the ancient bricks has been softened and beau- 
tified by the hand of Time, which has also caused 
heavy vines to grow upon, and in certain places, 
almost to cover the walls. The different courts, 
gateways, and gables, are therefore most pic- 
turesque. The present owner, a descendant of 
the Sir Thomas Lucy whom Shakespeare knew 
and ridiculed, permits visitors (the privileged 
few) to see the Great Hall and the library. 

The former is the most interesting of all the 
apartments, for here one stands in the very 



lyo JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

room where Shakespeare is said to have been 
questioned by the pompous Sir Thomas Lucy, 
after the deer- stealing episode. This lofty hall 
has a slight modern atmosphere about it now, 
but the dark paneling, bits of really old glass 
in the windows, and, above all, the bust of 
Shakespeare, recall the past very vividly to 
mind. 

Most historians admit that there is some 
truth in the story that Shakespeare came into 
unpleasant contact with the Lord of Charlecote, 
through a more or less serious boyish prank ; but 
not all believe that there can be any truth in the 
statement that he was brought into the Great 
Hall by the forester who caught up with him at 
the " Tumble-down Stile." It may be, how- 
ever, that Shakespeare was later on friendly 
terms with the Lucy family, and so it is 
possible that he was then entertained in the 
hall. 

" You know," remarked Mrs. Pitt, " that the 
disgrace of that affair with Sir Thomas Lucy is 
thought to have caused Shakespeare to leave his 
native town and go to seek his fortune in far- 
away London. Therefore the prank is said by 
some to have been a most important, though 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 171 

seemingly trivial event in the Poet's life. 
Shakespeare's revenge upon the owner of lovely 
Charlecote came later, when he very plainly de- 
scribed Sir Thomas in his plays, imder the name 
of ' Justice Shallow. ' " 

Another room at Charlecote is very attractive, 
— that is, the old library. There is preserved 
some wonderful inlaid furniture which tradition 
describes as a gift from Queen Elizabeth to 
Leicester, and which consequently would once 
have found a place at Kenilworth Castle. A 
very charming view of the lawn sloping gently 
down to the river is seen from the library win- 
dows. 

Within the precincts of Charlecote is a beauti- 
ful church which was erected by Mrs. Henry 
Spenser Lucy, in 1852, upon the site of an an- 
cient chapel. Here there are huge tombs in 
memory of three Lucys, and also an interesting 
monument to the wife of Sir Thomas, with its 
tribute to her lovely character, supposed to have 
been written by Shakespeare's '' Justice Shal- 
low " himself, who seems at least to have been 
a devoted husband. This last-mentioned monu- 
ment was originally a part of the older edifice, 
of course. 



172 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

It was now about noon, and they were feeling 
rather hungry, so at a short distance from 
Charlecote they selected an inviting place by the 
roadside, and there they unpacked the lunch 
which Mrs. Pitt had brought. How good it did 
taste ! They all thoroughly enjoyed the picnic, 
and when a scarlet automobile went rushing 
past them, the ladies' veils fluttering in the 
breeze, Betty merely remarked: — "An auto's 
lovely, of course, but to-day I'd rather have 
a bicycle. It seems more appropriate, some- 
how. ' ' 

" Yes," Mrs. Pitt responded. '' When you 
are in such a beautiful county as this, and want 
to see it well, a bicycle is best. And then, I 
think it is more respectful to Shakespeare to go 
through his beloved haunts at a fairly leisurely 
pace. I imagine that he never would have un- 
derstood how any one could care so little for 
Warwickshire as to go whirling and jiggling 
along through it in a motor, at thirty miles an 
hour. ' ' 

Betty had absent-mindedly picked a daisy 
from the tall grass in which she was sitting, and 
was pulling off its petals, reciting the little verse 
about : 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 173 

"Rich man. 
Poor man. 
Beggar man, 
Thief." 

" Oil, dear! It's thief! " she cried, making 
up a wry face. ''I'd rather have any one than 
that!" 

" Try the other verses," suggested Barbara, 
entering into the fun. 

" What others'? " asked Betty in much sur- 
prise. " I didn't know there were any more." 

" Dear me, yes," Mrs. Pitt broke in. ''I 
used to know several of them myself, — the one 
about the house : 

"'Big house. 
Little house. 
Pig-stye, 
Bam,' 

and about the conveyances: 

« ' Coach, 
Carriage, 
Spring-cart, 
Wheelbarrow.' 

Wasn't there one more, Barbara? Oh, yes, 
about the dress materials : 



174 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

" ' snk, 

Satin, 
Muslin, 
Rags.' » 

" Well, well! " exclaimed Betty. ** I never 
heard those. They must be just English." 

'' Perhaps so. At any rate, when I was a lit- 
tle girl, I used to say them, and believe in them, 
too. I lived here in Warwickshire, in my child- 
hood, you know ; my father was rector of a tiny 
village not far from Coventry. There are 
ever so many queer old rhymes, verses, and 
customs still common among Warwickshire 
children. ' ' 

'' Tell Betty about some of them, Mother," 
Barbara urged. ''I'm sure that she'd like 
to hear, and we don't need to start on just 
yet." 

Mrs. Pitt leaned thoughtfully against the low- 
ered bars, at the entrance to a field. '' I'll have 
to think about it," she said; but she soon 
added, " There was the ' Wishing Tree.' I 
remember that." 

'' What was it? " the two girls eagerly ques- 
tioned. John and Philip, privately considering 
this talk '' silly stuff," had retired to the 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 175 

farther side of a hay-rick, where they were 
whittling industriously. 

i' The ' Wishing Tree ' was a large elm that 
stood in the park of a neighboring nobleman's 
estate. To all the girls of the village, it was a 
favorite spot, and we used to steal through the 
hedge and very cautiously approach the tree. 
If the cross old gardener happened to see us he 'd 
come limping in our direction as fast as his 
lame legs could carry him, calling out angrily 
that if we did not ' shog off right away, he'd 
set his ten commandments in our faces. ' That 's 
an odd expression, isn't it? It's very, very old, 
— so old that Shakespeare was familiar with it 
and used it in one of his plays — ' King Henry 
VI, ' I think. The gardener meant that he would 
scratch us with his ten fingers — but he wouldn't 
have, for he was too kind-hearted in spite of his 
threats. He was a queer man, with a brown, 
wrinkled old face. I can see him just as though 
it were yesterday. ' ' 

*' What was that you said? " asked Betty. 
'' ' Shog off! ' What does it mean? " 

' ' Simply Warwickshire for ' Go away, ' ' ' was 
Mrs. Pitt's careless answer. Her thoughts had 
gone back to her childhood. 



176 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

'' You forgot to tell us what the ' Wishing 
Tree ' was for," Betty timidly suggested, fear- 
ful of interrupting her reminiscences. 

'* Why, so I did! We would tip-toe all alone 
up to the tree, and if, under its wide branches, 
we made a wish, we thought it was sure to come 
true. There was another curious old game of 
finding out how many years we were to live, by a 
ball. We would bounce it upon the hard ground, 
and catching it again and again in our hands, 
would chant all the while : 

" ' Ball-ee, ball-ee, tell me true, 

How many years I've got to go through, 
One, two, three, four, — ' 

If that had proved true, I shouldn't be here to- 
day to tell of it, for I was never very skillful 
with the ball, and could only catch it ten or fif- 
teen times at the most." 

Mrs. Pitt laughed. '' There is so much of an- 
cient folk-lore here in Warwickshire, ' ' she went 
on. " I remember that the old country people 
always crossed themselves or said some charm 
for a protection, when one lone magpie flew over 
their heads. That meant bad luck, for the 
verses said: 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 177 

"'For one magpie means sorrow, 
TwOj mirth. 
Three a wedding, 
And four, a birth.' 

Why, wliat is it, Barbara? " 

Barbara had jumped to her feet, and was 
wildly waving her arms about her head. " It's 
only a bee," she said, rather ashamed. " I 
don 't like them quite so near. ' ' 

It was delightful to ride along on this " rare 
day in June, ' ' through the fair county of War- 
wickshire, — the '^ Heart of England." If they 
were just a bit uncomfortably warm on the hill- 
top where the sun beat down upon the fields and 
open road, they were soon again in the beautiful 
woodland, where the cool air refreshed them, or 
passing through the street of some remote vil- 
lage, shaded by giant elms. In each little ham- 
let, as well as the row of peaceful thatched cot- 
tages, with smoke curling upwards from their 
chimneys, there was the ancient vine-covered 
church, with perhaps a Norman tower, where 
the rooks found a home, and the gray old 
rectory close at hand. 

When Betty asked if it was in a church " like 
this " that Mrs. Pitt's father preached, and if 



178 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

her former home resembled the particular rec- 
tory they then chanced to be passing, Mrs. Pitt 
replied, ' ' Yes, my home was somewhat like this 
one. All English country churches and rectories 
look very much alike, — that is, almost all are 
vine-covered, and very old and quaint — ^yet, I 
think each has its own very distinct individu- 
ality, too." 

Mrs. Pitt, of course, wanted some tea, so 
about four o 'clock they stopped at a clean little 
cottage, near a stretch of woodland. Mrs. Pitt 
herself dismounted and stepped up to the door, 
which stood hospitably open. A little flaxen- 
haired child ran out curiously at the sound of 
the knock, and then, frightened, scampered away 
to call her mother. That good woman, in her 
neat black dress and stiffly-starched white apron, 
at once understood the situation. 

'' You just seat yourselves there under the 
trees," she ordered them, '' and I'll bring right 
out a shive off a loaf of bread, and a tot o' tea 
for each of you. " 

The young people looked puzzled at this 
speech, but Mrs. Pitt smilingly led the way to 
the place their hostess designated. In a sur- 
prisingly short time the woman brought out a 



A DAY IN WARWICKSHIRE 179 

table (having scorned the assistance of the two 
boys), spread it with an immaculately clean 
cloth, and set thereon a very tempting loaf of 
brown bread and a pot of steaming tea. There 
was also jam, of course. While they enjoyed 
their meal, she stood by, her hands on her hips, 
and a radiant smile upon her face at the praises 
of her guests. Every few moments the little 
girl would peep out from behind the cottage, and 
once she almost came up to the group under the 
trees ; but her mother, when she spied her, sent 
her hastily back, saying by way of an apology : — 
'' She's all swatched, but she's only my reckling, 
you must know." As they rode away into the 
woods, the good woman stood in the middle 
of the road waving her table-cloth for good- 

by. 

" Wasn't she a dandy! " John burst out. 
*' Couldn't understand what she said, though! 
Might just as well have been Greek ! ' ' 

'^ She certainly did have some old Warwick- 
shire expressions!" laughed Mrs. Pitt. "I 
don't know when I've heard that word ' reck- 
ling.' It simply means her youngest child, 
who she said was all ' swatched.' That sig- 
nifies being untidy, but I am sure I couldn't see 



i8o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

the tiniest spot of dirt anywhere upon the 
child." 

Betty was rather glad when they at last 
jumped of£ their bicycles at the hotel in Leam- 
ington. 

' ' I guess I'm not used to quite such long rides 
as you," she said. " It has been beautiful, 
though, and I wouldn't have come by train for 
anything. I just love Warwickshire, and every- 
thing about it, especially the language, which I 
mean to learn while I am here." 



CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

WAEWICK AND KENILWORTH CASTLES 

The bicycles were returned to their owner in 
Stratford, and Mrs. Pitt's plan was to drive to 
Warwick and Kenilworth the following day. 
Consequently it was a great disappointment at 
breakfast-time to see gray and threatening 
clouds overhead, from which rain very soon be- 
gan to descend. The day was also very cold, 
and such a chilling wind was blowing and whis- 
tling around the corners of the hotel, that fires 
were lighted in all the tiny grates. 

" Whoever heard of such cold weather in 
June ! ' ' John protested, not in the best of spirits 
at being shut up in the house. " It's horrid, I 
say ! Ugh ! If my fur coat was here, I should 
put it on, and then get inside the fireplace, too." 

At this very dismal burst of feeling from 
John, Mrs. Pitt came to the rescue, suggesting a 
game of billiards. John brightened very con- 
siderably after this, and the remainder of the 
day was pleasantly spent in writing letters, 

i8i 



1 82 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

playing games, and reading aloud from Scott's 
'' Kenilworth, " in preparation for the mor- 
row's visit to that castle. 

" Just think of seeing the very spot in the 
garden where Queen Elizabeth met Amy Eob- 
sart! And perhaps the same room where she 
slept. Oh, I can hardly wait till morning! " 
sighed Betty rapturously. ' ' Kenilworth ' ' had 
long been one of her favorite books. 

At bedtime Mrs. Pitt, inwardly rather uncer- 
tain about the prospects of the weather, was out- 
wardly most cheerful with her assurance that 
she ' ' felt sure it would be fine in the morning. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt was '' usually right about things,'*" 
as the children had long since discovered, and 
this proved no exception to the rule. The sun 
shone brightly on the morrow, and the whole 
country-side looked as though it had been 
washed and cleaned so as to appear at its love- 
liest for the visitors. 

The drive through Leamington revealed a 
very pretty watering-place, with baths, parks, 
gay streets of shops, and many neat little pri- 
vate villas, each being dignified by a name. 

** How do they ever find names enough to go 
around? " Betty thought to herself. 



WARWICK CASTLE 183' 

They soon left the town behind, and a short 
drive along the perfectly smooth, wide, country 
road, brought them to the well-known bridge 
over the Avon, and revealed the fact that the 
river had not lost a bit of its beauty since they 
left it at the Weir Brake. It is from this bridge 
that the famous view of Warwick Castle is to 
be had, and a more charming picture cannot 
well be imagined. Just at a bend of the river, 
the great gray front looms up, long and straight, 
the turrets here and there giving it a most 
formidable air of old-time majesty and strength. 

Leaving the carriage at the castle entrance, 
Mrs. Pitt led the way up the narrow walk, 
bounded by high walls of rock, to which the 
damp moss clings and over which flowers and 
trailing vines hang. Finally they passed under 
an old gate-way with a portcullis, and found 
themselves in the inner court-yard of the castle, 
which is almost round in shape. Old towers or 
buildings very nearly surround this court, and 
in the center is a wonderfully smooth grass-plot, 
which is sometimes used as a tennis-court. Sev- 
eral stately peacocks strutted about displaying 
their magnificent feathers. They were very 
tame, and almost allowed Betty to come near 



1 84 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

enough to touch them. She was delighted when 
the largest most obligingly dropped a gorgeous 
feather at her very feet. 

*^ For a souvenir! " she exclaimed, as she 
picked it up. ' ' How dear of him ! I like pea- 
cocks even if they are proud ! I would be, if I 
lived here ! They know how important they are, 
and that this garden wouldn't be complete with- 
out them. ' ' 

'' Do you see that high mound? " asked Mrs. 
Pitt, pointing to the northern end of the court. 
li There ^thelflaed, the daughter of Alfred the 
Great, is supposed to have built a castle, and 
thus the history of Warwick may be said to have 
commenced in 914. Just fancy ! Since that day, 
many great families have been in possession 
here (De Newburghs, Beauchamps, Nevilles, 
Plantagenets), — from traditional Guy of War- 
wick to ' Warwick the King-maker,' and all 
along the line to the Greville family, which has 
owned it since 1759. ' Warwick the King- 
maker,' or Eichard Neville, was the famous 
baron who possessed such wonderful power in 
England that he could make and unmake kings 
at his will. It was he who captured poor, weak 
Edward IV, and brought him here as a prisoner. 



WARWICK CASTLE 185 

Of Guy of Warwick, the great warrior and hero, 
I shall tell you more when we are at Guy's Cliff, 
where he lived. He is really more associated 
with that place than this. You will see here, 
however, what is known as * Guy's Porridge 
Pot.' It is an interesting old vessel, very large 
and made of metal. Most probably it had 
nothing whatever to do with the great Guy; 
some authorities consider, because of the ex- 
istence of this little rhyme, that it belonged to 
a certain Sir John Talbot, who died about 1365. 

" * There is nothing left of Talbot's name, 
But Talbot's pot and Talbot's Lane.' 

But let 's go over to that door by which we enter. 
There comes a guide with his party; perhaps 
we can go in with them. ' ' 

They found the interior of Warwick Castle 
very delightful, and in a perfect state of pres- 
ervation, for the family of the present Earl 
occupy it often. The ever-present Great Hall 
is here more grand and lofty than that of 
Charlecote, though it has not the appearance of 
as great antiquity as the one at beautiful Pens- 
hurst Place. Its walls are lined with old suits of 
armor, but, nevertheless, the room is furnished 



1 86 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

with comfortable easy-chairs, as the family, 
when in residence, use this as their living-room. 
Among the collection of armor is the helmet of 
Oliver Cromwell, and a whole miniature suit of 
mail which was once worn by the little dwarfed 
son of Eobert Dudley, the famous Earl of Leices- 
ter. In a great bay-window, overlooking the 
Avon, stands the huge caldron of Guy of War- 
wick. Strangely enough, an exquisite Eliza- 
bethan saddle of green velvet had found a tem- 
porary resting-place in its great depths. 

' ' I think this Cedar Eoom is very beautiful, ' * 
remarked Mrs. Pitt, as they stepped into that 
apartment. ' ' Do you see that the walls are en- 
tirely of cedar wood from floor to ceiling? Isn't 
the effect rich, and doesn't it smell good? Do 
you notice the fine carving, and the pictures, — 
some of Van Dyck's best works? Oh! I must 
not call your attention to so many things all at 
once! " 

In the Green Drawing-room, the Red Draw- 
ing-room, the State Bed-room, and the various 
other rooms and corridors, are priceless treas- 
ures of art ; for besides invaluable paintings by 
the greatest masters, there are here beautiful 
pieces of furniture, made of tortoise-shell and 



WARWICK CASTLE 187 

inlaid with gold or pearl, and ancient marriage- 
chests, which once belonged to Italian princesses 
of bygone days. The armory contains one of 
the most valuable collections in England, and in 
the State Bedroom are many relics of Queen 
Anne. One really wearies of so much costliness 
which it is utterly impossible to appreciate at 
one visit. 

" Haven't we time to walk in the gardens a 
little longer? " asked Barbara, wistfully. To 
her, Nature was nearer and dearer than all the 
wonders of art and history. 

After a ramble through the bewitchingly 
lovely gardens, — going across ancient draw- 
bridges, spanning long-unused, grass-grown 
moats; under little postern-gates; into rustic 
grottoes — they at last came to the conservatory, 
in which is preserved the ** Warwick Vase." 
This is made of white marble, carved with vari- 
ous devices. 

" It has a curious history," answered Mrs. 
Pitt, in reply to the children's questions. '' In 
1770, some workmen found it at the bottom of a 
small lake which is about sixteen miles from 
Rome. Of course, it is not possible to deter- 
mine with any certainty how it came to be there, 



i88 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

but as Hadrian's Villa was in A.D. 546 occupied 
by a king of tbe Goths, an enemy who was then 
laying siege to Eome, it has been thought that 
the vase was cast into the lake, to save it from 
the hands of the invaders. The second Earl of 
Warwick was its purchaser." 

Slowly and unwillingly they wended their way 
back through the gardens, to the central court 
of the castle, and then out under the old gate- 
way. 

" My! " cried John, *' it must have taken 
heaps of soldiers to defend a place like this in 
the Middle Ages ! I wish I'd been here when it 
was just plumb full of great warriors, — ^when 
the moat had water in it, the drawbridge 
worked, and sentinels called out to you for the 
password as you came near the gate. I sup- 
pose they could peep out at you from those little 
windows up high, too." John looked longingly 
back, as they walked away. 

'* Oh, yes! " continued Mrs. Pitt, in tones 
which made the girls shudder. " From those 
windows they rained shot down upon the enemy. 
And there are little slits in the wall from which 
men poured boiling metal or tar upon those be- 
sieging the castle. Upon the roof of Guy's 



WARWICK CASTLE 189 

Tower there, it is thouglit that a huge machine 
used to stand, — a machine for slinging down 
great stones. Oh, yes; there were dungeons 
here, too, — deep, dark, damp, and evil-smelling 
dungeons, into which many prisoners were 
thrown. Why, it was from here that Piers 
Gaveston, the unfortunate favorite courtier of 
Edward II, was taken out and executed upon a 
hill close by. Underneath the fine halls where 
splendid banquets were carried on, out of sight 
and reach of the fair gardens and lawns, there 
were always poor prisoners who were shut away 
from the daylight for years perhaps, and labori- 
ously carving crests or verses in the stone walls, 
to while away the hours." 

Mrs. Pitt suddenly burst into peals of laugh- 
ter as she saw the pained expressions upon the 
faces of the two girls ; then a glance at the rapt, 
enthusiastic attention of John, caused her to be- 
come serious again. 

" Never mind, girls," she said gravely. 
'* Such things are now gone forever; people 
have advanced too far in their ideas to ever per- 
mit of more of those unjust acts and horrible 
punishments. I can never believe that the world 
isn't growing daily better! And, boys, it is aU 



I90 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

very well to love and long for the golden deeds 
and knightly ideals of the men of mythical King 
Arthur's Court, for instance; read about them 
all you can, and try to imitate them, but never 
wish back the terrible conditions of warfare and 
brutality which existed at the time. The kindly 
thoughts and acts will endure always, but the 
rest, — ^never! " 

Silently they took their seats in the carriage, 
and the coachman next drove them to Saint 
Mary's. Church, which stands in the quaint vil- 
lage of Warwick. Its old tower holds ten bells, 
and these play every four hours. There is a 
different tune for each day, which is always 
changed at midnight. The Warwick towns- 
people, living near their church, must have an 
enviable musical education, for they have con- 
tinually dinned in their ears all sorts of tunes, 
from the " Easter Hymn " to " The Blue Bells 
of Scotland." 

On the site of Saint Mary's, an ancient church 
is believed to have stood, prior to William the 
Conqueror. The present edifice, having been 
much altered and added to by various bene- 
factors, and at very various times, presents a 
rather confused and not especially pleasing ap- 



WARWICK CASTLE 191 

pearance architecturally. All visitors to the 
town are attracted there, however, by the pres- 
ence of the Beauchamp Chapel, which contains 
the tomb of the Earl of Leicester. 

Having paid the entrance fee, Mrs. Pitt and 
her charges were permitted to descend the few 
steps leading from the church proper into the 
Beauchamp Chapel. It is very beautiful, and 
was built in 1443, by "William Beauchamp, Earl 
of Warwick, who intended it as his memorial. 
It was once most elaborate with its fine marbles, 
monuments adorned with precious stones, and 
the gold statuettes which filled its niches, but 
these have long since been carried away. The 
tomb of Ambrose Dudley, who was named the 
" Good Earl of Warwick," stands in the center, 
and against the wall is that of the great 
Leicester and the Countess, his wife. 

'* Look here," called Mrs. Pitt. " Here lies 
their son, the little boy who wore the armor 
which you saw over at the castle. The inscrip- 
tion speaks of him as ' That noble impe, the 
young Lord Denbigh, their infant son and heir. ' 
' Impe ' in those days had no such meaning of 
mischievous as we give it to-day. It then simply 
signified a young boy. ' ' 



192 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Betty was mucli impressed by a small fliglit of 
winding stairs, just off the chapel, which are 
entirely worn down in the middle. 

'' Was it because so many monks went up 
there? " she asked. 

" Yes, so it is said," was Mrs. Pitt's reply. 
*' Perhaps it may have been a kind of con- 
fessional, where the monks knelt." 

There was one more thing in the church which 
they paused to note ; that is, the tomb of Fulke 
Greville, the first Lord Brooke, who was stabbed 
by a valet, in 1628. Greville was *' servant to 
Queene Elizabeth, conceller to King James, and 
frend to Sir Philip Sidney," as the inscription 
tells us ; and it would seem that the greatest em- 
phasis and respect was even then given the fact 
that he was " frend to " the noble Sir Philip 
Sidney. 

Nearby, the quaint buildings of Leicester's 
Hospital still stand. Here was a monastery un- 
til the Dissolution, or the breaking up, of all the 
religious houses, under Henry VIIL When the 
property came into the hands of Leicester in 
1571, he made the house into a hospital for 
twelve men. The present brethren have all been 
soldiers of the Crown, who now receive a pen- 



WARWICK CASTLE 193 

sion and are spending the remainder of their 
days in the sunny nooks and corners of the old 
timbered houses. One of these brethren who 
showed the party about, was a most curious old 
character, and afforded the young people no 
end of amusement. He invariably gave his in- 
formation in a very loud voice, which was 
absolutely without expression, and his eyes 
were kept steadily fixed upon some distant 
point. 

He showed them the ancient hall in which Sir 
Fulke Greville once received King James, and 
it seemed to give him the keenest pleasure to de- 
scribe how that King was ' ' right royally enter- 
tained. ' ' 

'* Oh, ye 're right, lady," he panted, ** the 
'ospital was founded by Eobert Dudley, Lord 
Leicester, 'e '0 was much at Elizabeth's court, 
h'as you all know. And it's a descendant h'of 
'is, or of 'is sister, as you may say, 'o 'as the 
right to appoint the master 'ere in this 'ospital 
to this day. E's Lord D 'Lisle and Dudley, of 
Penshurst Place h'in Kent, — 'im as is descended 
direct from the Lady Mary, sister of Eobert 
Dudley, 'o married Sir 'Enry Sidney. H'its 'e 
'0 appoints the master h'over us this very day. 



194 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

But as I was saying, — ^it was 'ere that 'is 
Majesty King James was right royally k 'enter- 
tained. ' ' 

' ' Yes, ' ' broke in John, interrupting the rapid 
flow of expressionless words. '' We'll remem- 
ber that all right." Then in an aside to Philip, 
he whispered: " That's the ninth time he has 
said ' right royally entertained.' I'm going to 
keep count." 

Having examined an embroidered curtain, the 
work of Amy Robsart at Cumnor Hall, the King 
of Dahomey's State Execution Sword, which 
seemed a bit out of place amid the surroundings, 
and an old battle-ax, supposed to have been used 
for one side or the other on the Field of 
Hastings, in 1066, they bade farewell to their 
guide (who had suddenly ceased his mechanical 
orations like a clock which has run down), and 
drove away toward Kenilworth. 

Guy's Cliff next called for attention. It is 
first seen at the end of a long, stately avenue 
lined by great trees. At the back of the cattle 
flows a stream, at this point widened out into 
a miniature lake, on the bank of which stands 
a very ancient, moss-covered Saxon mill. The 
castle across the water and the old mill make 



WARWICK CASTLE 195 

STicli very attractive pictures that their vicinity 
is always frequented by numbers of artists, sit- 
ting under their big umbrellas. 

As the party stood under the trees by the 
mill, Mrs. Pitt gathered the young people about 
her. 

' ' Now, I want to tell you the story of Guy of 
Warwick, for whom this Guy's Cliff was called. 
He lived long, long ago (if he really did live 
at all), when England had great tracts of un- 
settled country, where men were afraid to go for 
fear of horrible monsters. This brave young 
Guy was a strong warrior, and he became fa- 
mous because he slew the Dun cow, and other 
terrible animals which were tormenting the 
country folk. Guy later went off to the Cru- 
sades. These were pilgrimages which devout 
men made to Jerusalem, in the endeavor to win 
back that city from the Turks. Guy was gone 
some time from England — years probably — and 
when he came back, he lived the life of a hermit, 
in a cave near here. The story goes that his 
wife used to carry food to him each day, and 
that she never recognized him until he was dy- 
ing and revealed to her his identity." 

Here Mrs. Pitt was forced to pause for breath, 



196 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

and John broke in excitedly, '' Oh, let's go and 
see the cave! Can't we?" 

*' I'm afraid not, John. You see, Guy's Cliff 
belongs to Lord Algernon Percy, and the cave 
is on his private premises. I fear we would not 
be allowed to visit it, — especially as the family 
is now in residence at the castle. Did I tell 
you that Guy and his faithful wife were buried 
together in the cave? " 

After taking lunch at the King's Arms Hotel 
^t Kenilworth, and seeing the room in which 
Scott wrote his novel, they proceeded to the 
castle. The afternoon was warm and sunny, 
with a blue sky and a summer haze over the 
landscape, — the kind of afternoon which in- 
vites one to day-dreams. Consequently, Mrs. 
Pitt ensconced herself against the crumbling 
wall of Caesar's Tower, put up her umbrella to 
keep off the glare of the sun, and sat dreaming 
over the remains of the once magnificent castle. 
Meanwhile the young people, accompanied by a 
guide, climbed all over the ruin. They scram- 
bled up narrow stairs in thick walls, climbed as 
high as it was safe to go on old towers, and ex- 
plored the dark chambers and passages near the 
old Banqueting-hall. 



KENILWORTH CASTLE 197 

" This tower is supposed to be where Amy 
Eobsart's lodgings were," their dignified guide 
told them, and then he boldly spoiled Betty's de- 
light, by saying, * ' It's queer now how fascinated 
all visitors are by Amy Robsart. Of course, 
they've read of her in Scott's novel, but curi- 
ously enough, that's the only part of the tale 
which is not taken strictly from history. No 
one really knows whether Amy Eobsart ever 
was at Kenilworth, and at any rate, it doesn't 
seem at all likely that she was here at the 
time of Queen Elizabeth's famous visit of 1563." 

" dear! " Betty sighed, really bitterly dis- 
appointed. " I always liked the part about 
Amy best of all, and now it isn't true at all ! " 

'* Never mind. Miss; there would be plenty of 
interest attached to the old place, even if Scott 
had never written of it. Oh, I know it's a great 
book, and makes that particular period of Ken- 
ilworth 's history remarkably vivid. What I 
mean is, that the old castle is not dependent on 
Scott for its grand history and reputation." 
He looked above him at the beautiful oriel-win- 
dows of the Banqueting-hall, as if he loved every 
stone there. After a few such speeches, even 
the children began to notice that he was ' ' dif - 



198 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ferent from most guides "; he used most ex- 
cellent English, was very neatly dressed, had a 
pleasant, refined face, and seemed to take an 
especial interest in the young people. 

The guide went on in his deep voice. ' ' Ken- 
ilworth was built in 1120, by Geoffrey de Clin- 
ton, Lord Chamberlain to Henry I. Later, it 
came into the possession of the great Simon de 
Montfort, and it then successfully withstood a 
siege; but it was during the Civil Wars that 
Cromwell's soldiers reduced the splendid castle 
to these almost equally splendid ruins. Of 
course, it was at the height of its glory when the 
Earl of Leicester owned it, and Queen Elizabeth 
came here on a visit. I'm sure you have all read 
about that famous week, — of all the pageants, 
feasts, carnivals, and displays of fireworks upon 
the lake. The lake was there; water covered 
all those low fields back of the castle. At that 
time, the main approach was here," pointing to 
where a rustic bridge crosses a little ravine. 
II There was once a large bridge there, and 
from that entrance the Queen had her first 
glimpse of the castle where she was to be so 
magnificently entertained. ' ' 

Just then Barbara saw that her mother had 



KENILWORTH CASTLE 199 

risen and was motioning that it was time for 
them to go. So they reluctantly left the guide, 
thanking him as Philip handed him his fee. 
That gentleman (for so he really seemed) 
doffed his hat most politely, and appeared 
genuinely sorry to have them go. As Betty 
turned to take a last look at the old Banqueting- 
hall, she saw him standing just where they had 
left him, and a bit wistfully watching them walk 
away. When they were once again in the car- 
riage and driving toward Coventry, they de- 
scribed the guide to Mrs. Pitt, who showed much 
interest. Barbara thought that he was a poor 
scholar or teacher, who was taking that way of 
earning a little during the summer months; 
John was sure he was a nobleman in disguise, 
for some highly romantic, secret reason; Philip 
could not even imagine who he might be, so 
great was the mysterious atmosphere about 
him; but Betty added: *' He's surely a gentle- 
man, and he was such an interesting, polite 
guide, that I wish they were all like him. ' ' 

' ' Yes, it is curious, ' ' agreed Mrs. Pitt. * ' I'd 
like to have been along with you, for I should 
have enjoyed studying him. I have once or 
twice before come across just such puzzling 



200 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

characters. I once spent a month at a small 
hotel down in Devonshire, where there was a 
head-waiter who always interested me. I de- 
cided that he must have a history, and it was 
proved that I was right when I discovered him 
a few months later, dining with a lady at one of 
the most aristocratic hotels in London. I'll 
never forget my sensations when I realized why 
Ms face was so familiar, and where I had seen 
it before ! That mystery was never explained, 
and I'm afraid yonrs never will be." 

They found Coventry a delightful old town. 
Here it was that so many of the Miracle Plays 
used to be given in olden times. The ' ' Coven- 
try Plays " were famous, and Mrs. Pitt took 
the party to the court-yard of Saint Mary's 
Hall, where they were wont to be performed ; for 
such entertainments always took place in the 
open air, — in squares or courts, the stage being 
rudely constructed upon a wagon, which could 
be taken from place to place. 

At the corner of two streets is an absurd fig- 
ure of ' ' Peeping Tom, ' ' which recalls the fabled 
ride of the Lady Grodiva, and her sacrifice to 
procure the freedom of the people of Coventry 
from unjust taxes. 



KENILWORTH CASTLE 201 

Coventry streets are very narrow and crooked 
(Hawthorne once said that they reminded him 
of Boston's winding ways), and there are many 
picturesque houses, their upper stories jutting 
out over the street. One most charming ex- 
ample of sixteenth century architecture is 
Ford's Hospital, a home for forty aged women. 
The street front is unique in its construction 
of timbers, gables, and carvings. Inside 
is an oblong, paved court, overhung by the sec- 
ond story of the building. 

'^ It's like Leicester's Hospital at Warwick, 
only this is really more quaint, isn't it? The 
old ladies peeping out from their little rooms 
are dear! I'm going to make friends with 
them," Betty declared, as she disappeared un- 
der one of the low doorways. She was soon 
seen accompanying an old dame on crutches, 
who was hobbling out to show off her bit of a 
garden, back of the house. 

On the return trip to Leamington, they were 
rather quiet. Having seen so many famous 
places, it was natural that they should wish to 
think them over. The driver approached Leam- 
ington by another road than that by which they 
had left it, and it took them past Stoneleigh Ab- 



202 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

bey, the country seat of Lord Leigh. It is situ- 
ated in the midst of woodland, which has been 
called " the only real bit of old Arden Forest 
now to be found in Warwickshire. ' ' 

'^ They say that the Abbey is remarkably 
beautiful," said Mrs. Pitt, " but I've never been 
fortunate enough to see it at any nearer range. 
The house is not very old, having been erected 
in the eighteenth century, but it stands on the 
site of a Cistercian Abbey, of which one gate- 
way still remains." 

It was late when they reached the hotel at 
Leamington, and they were forced to hurry in 
order to be dressed in time for dinner. The 
gong found them all assembled, however, for 
such a day of sight- seeing makes one hungry. 
They all had a good laugh at Betty, for when 
she was caught in a " brown study," and Mrs. 
Pitt asked to hear her thoughts, she replied : 

" Oh, I was thinking over what a lovely day 
it has been, — especially at Kenilworth! " and 
then added with a sigh, ^' If I only could know 
who that guide was, everything would be per- 
fect I " 



CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

SHEEWOOD FOEEST AND HADDON HALL 

Betty could scarcely sit still in the train 
which was carrying her towards Mansfield, from 
sheer excitement at the anticipation of actually 
seeing the hamits of Robin Hood. Ever since 
Mrs. Pitt had mentioned that town as the gate- 
way of the Sherwood Forest of Betty's dreams, 
the name had seemed an enchanted one to her. 
As they had come only the comparatively short 
journey from Leeds, they arrived at Mansfield 
in the middle of the morning, and being Fri- 
day, the public square presented its usual busy 
scenes of market-day. Venders were shouting 
their wares, long-suffering babies who had been 
unwillingly brought along were crying, women 
were loudly chattering in shrill voices, and a 
poor little dog, who in some mysterious way was 
being made to play a part in a Punch and Judy 
Show, was yelping piteously. 

** Well," began Betty, who could think of only 
203 



204 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Eobin Hood — ^her dear hero, whose story was 
about to be made even more vivid to her — ' ' per- 
haps this is the very market where he came 
when he had bought out the butcher's stock of 
meat and was selling it for kisses to the lasses of 
the town. Oh, do you suppose it is the same 
place? " 

' ' Why, no ! " interrupted John, in the decisive 
tones which he always used when confident of 
his superior knowledge. " ' Nottingham Town ' 
was where Eobin Hood and his whole gang of 
f eUows always went ! ' ' 

*' Yes, that was really more associated with 
the famous outlaw than Mansfield. You'll see 
Nottingham this afternoon, or, at any rate, to- 
morrow. Now, come this way to the Swan Ho- 
tel. While you girls unpack, I'll see that some 
horses are harnessed so that we can soon set off 
to the forest. ' ' Mrs. Pitt then led the way from 
the market-square toward the inn of which she 
had spoken. 

Before the carriage was ready, the young peo- 
ple had thoroughly explored this remarkable old 
house. Perhaps the most notable thing about it 
is the spiral staircase of solid oak, which is 
three hundred years old ; but the entire building 



SHERWOOD FOREST 205 

is filled with little passages and unexpected, re- 
mote nooks and corners, wMcli, like the quaint 
bedrooms, are crowded with curios, old pic- 
tures, and superb antique furniture. Betty de- 
clared she had never seen such a '* darling old 
four-poster " as the one which stood in her 
room, the favorite Number Nine for which all 
visitors clamor. Altogether, they considered it 
a most delightful place, and Betty thought that 
without too great a stretch of the imagination, 
she could even think of Eobin Hood or Little 
John there. 

The hostess hastened to prepare a delicious, 
early lunch especially for the party, and having 
partaken of it, they went at once to the open 
carriage which was drawn up in the odd little 
inn-yard. John, as usual, claimed the seat be- 
side the driver, the others settled themselves, 
and they started off. 

No sooner had they reached the open coun- 
try than Betty's pent-up spirits overflowed en- 
tirely. 

'' Oh, do you see that little river flowing 
through the meadows'? " she suddenly cried, 
standing up to point at it excitedly. ' ' See the 
reeds along its edges, the field of tall grain, and 



2o6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

the old tree trunk which has fallen across the 
water! I just know that must be the place 
where Eobin first met Little John. They 
had a fight on a narrow foot-bridge, you know, 
and Little John (who wasn't ' little ' at all) 
was the stronger, and tumbled Eobin Hood over 
into the brook. Don't you remember, John? 
That looks exactly like the picture in my 
Howard Pyle's ' Robin Hood,' at home. Oh, 
I'm perfectly sure it must be the same place! 
Aren't you, Mrs. Pitt? " 

This enthusiasm of Betty's was soon caught 
by the rest, and during the whole afternoon they 
took turns in telling, one after another, the 
'' Merry Adventures of Robin Hood," as they 
recalled them. There could not be a section of 
country which more perfectly suggests the set- 
ting for that particular group of legends which 
has been associated with it. Here surely is the 
identical woodland through which Robin Hood 
and his merry men roamed. No one could pos- 
sibly mistake it ! Here are the very same trees, 
behind which one can almost see lurking the men 
in ' ' Lincoln green. ' ' Here are ideal little glades 
carpeted with dainty ferns, here and there 
touched with the sunlight which flashes between 



SHERWOOD FOREST 207 

the leaves. Sometimes the road emerges from 
the forest, and winds along through broad 
fields, — the '' high road '* bordered by green 
meadows and hedgerows. 

'* You know," began Mrs. Pitt, her eyes 
sparkling with fun, '' when Robin and his men 
had been in hiding for some days or weeks, per- 
haps, because the old Sheriff of Nottingham was 
trying particularly hard to catch them at the 
time, some of the most venturesome ones, not 
being able to exist longer under the restraint, 
would start off in search of adventure ; and leav- 
ing a bit reluctantly the heart of Sherwood For- 
est, they always made straight for the ' high 
road.' Now in just such a place as this, by the 
cross-roads. Little John, garbed as a gray friar, 
met the three lasses who were carrying their 
eggs to the market at Tuxford. He swung one 
basket from his rosary, about his neck, and took 
one in either hand, and thus he accompanied the 
maids to town. Am I right? Is that the 
tale? " 

' ' Yes, ' ' continued Philip, taking up the story 
where his mother had left off; '' then he went 
to a ' fair, thatched inn,' you know, and he sat 
drinking with the tinker, the peddler, and the 



208 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

beggar, when the two rich brothers from Foun- 
tains Abbey came out to start again on their 
journey to York. Little John thought there 'd 
be some fun, and perhaps some good money for 
him, if he decided to go part of the way with 
them, so he did. Don't you remember that one 
brother was very tall and thin, and the other 
very short and stout? They were proud and 
ashamed of being seen on the road in the 
company of a poor friar whose gown was too 
short for him, as was Little John's. But he 
insisted upon staying by, and strode along be- 
tween their two nags. Whenever they met any- 
body — ^beggars, fair lords and ladies, or fat 
Bishops — ^Little John called out : ' Here we go ; 
we three ! ' " 

' ' And then, ' ' broke in Betty, her face literally 
radiant, " don't you know how Little John 
finally robbed them! That was best of all! 
When they came to a certain parting of the 
ways, he did consent to leave them, but first he 
asked for a few pence, as he was poor. Both 
brothers declared that they hadn't any money, 
at which Little John insisted upon their kneel- 
ing down on the dusty road and praying to the 
good St. Dunstan to send them each ten shil- 



SHERWOOD FOREST 209 

lings, so that they could continue their journey 
in safety and comfort. You know, he thought 
it such a pity for two such worthy brothers to 
be in sore need of food and drink ! ' ' The chil- 
dren were unconsciously lapsing into the lan- 
guage of the Eobin Hood stories, as they rattled 
on and on. 

' ' Well, ' ' Betty went on, ' ' Little John prayed 
and prayed, and then he asked the brothers to 
feel and see if the good St. Dunstan hadn't sent 
them something. Time after time this perform- 
ance was repeated, and still they said they had 
nothing. Finally Little John himself felt in 
their pouches and found, — oh, heaps of money ! 
He left the brothers ten shillings each, and car- 
ried away the rest, saying he was sure that the 
good St. Dunstan had meant it for him ! Oh, I 
think I like Little John best of all, — almost bet- 
ter even than Eobin Hood ! He always did such 
cute things ! ' ' 

By this time, they were nearing some of the 
big palaces which gave this section of the coun- 
try the name of ' ' The Dukeries, ' ' from the fact 
that so many noblemen have lived there. Earl 
Manvers, the Duke of Newcastle, and the Duke 
of Portland, all have tremendous estates be- 



210 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

tween the towns of Worksop and Edwinstowe. 
Some of the stately houses were pointed out in 
the distance behind the trees, but neither Bar- 
bara nor Betty, Philip nor John, paid the slight- 
est heed to them. Their minds were fixed on 
Eobin Hood, and they saw only the Sherwood 
Forest which he knew. When Betty looked at 
Clumber House, across a pretty little lake, she 
only said : 

'* Perhaps near that lake was where Eobin 
found Alan-a-Dale, the dear minstrel." 

" Oh, no, Betty; it was by a fountain that he 
found Alan-a-Dale, ' ' Barbara politely corrected. 

'' Yes, that's so, Barbara," Betty replied, in 
all seriousness. " I forgot." 

There was one thing upon the estate of the 
Duke of Portland which did greatly interest the 
party, however; that is, an old gnarled oak 
which is called '' Eobin Hood's Larder." 

" Ye see, 'e came 'ere to store 'is venison, 
and to 'ang it up to dry. 'E was a clever chap, 
'e was. 'E 'id it inside the trunk. ' ' The driver 
grinned from ear to ear, as he gave this valuable 
information. 

Getting out to explore, the children found that 
the huge tree is hollow, and propped up to post- 



SHERWOOD FOREST 211 

pone the sad day when it will surely collapse al- 
together. Many old tree-trunks, all over Sher- 
wood Forest, are like this, and in some of them 
John could stretch his full length upon the 
ground. Near " Eobin Hood's Larder " is the 
spot where, according to Scott, the outlaw met 
with King Eichard of the Lion Heart, — or, at 
least, so say the local guidebooks. 

"Yes," said Mrs. Pitt, understanding at 
once; " don't you remember that in Scott's 
' Ivanhoe '? Another version of this famous 
meeting is in Howard Pyle's book. King Rich- 
ard was at Nottingham Town, you know, and 
having a curious desire to meet with Robin 
Hood, he and his friends went into Sherwood 
Forest, dressed as friars. Robin and his men 
found them, of course, and made them guests at 
a feast. Later, there was shooting, and Robin 
Hood, having once missed the mark, applied to 
the King, whom he did not recognize, for a pun- 
ishment. Thereupon King Richard arose, 
rolled up his sleeve, and gave such a blow as 
Robin had never felt before. It was afterwards 
that Sir Richard of the Lea appeared upon the 
scene, and disclosed the identity of the powerful 
stranger. Then Robin Hood, Little John, Will 



212 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Scarlet, and Alan-a-Dale followed the King to 
London at the royal wish, and left Sherwood for 
many a long day." 

They were now passing through a very dense 
part of the wood. Close about the feet of the 
oaks, a thick, tangled underbrush grows. Some 
of the old trees seem to be gray with age, and 
their whitish, twisted branches offer a sharp 
contrast to the dark shadows, and make a weird, 
ghostlike effect. 

* ' Oh ! " exclaimed Betty, ' ' it must have been 
in just such a spot as this in the forest that 
Gurth in ' Ivanhoe ' suddenly came upon a com- 
pany of Eobin Hood's men. Gurth was the 
Saxon, you know. He had been to Isaac, the 
Jew, at York, and was carrying back the ran- 
som money to his master, Ivanhoe. Of course, 
poor Gurth thought he would surely be robbed, 
when he discovered in whose society he was ; but 
as you said, Mrs. Pitt, Eobin Hood never took 
money from honest men, especially when it was 
not their own. They led Gurth farther and 
farther into the depths of Sherwood. I can just 
imagine it was a place like this, — ^where the 
moonlight lit up these ghostly trees, and the red 
glow of the camp-fire showed Gurth 's fright- 



SHERWOOD FOREST 213 

ened face. He was quite safe, thougli, for lie 
proved that the money was his master's, and 
Eobin let him go, and even showed him the way 
to the ' skirts of the forest, ' as he did the Sheriff 
of Nottingham." 

All this time the carriage had been rolling 
along, and as they neared an open space in the 
forest, John suddenly caught sight of something 
which made him turn to his friend, the driver, 
and exclaim: ''Oh, what are they?" 

Stretching away for quite a distance on either 
side of the road were rows and rows of tiny, 
peaked houses or coops. The coachman told 
them that here was where they breed the pheas- 
ants which are hunted. When the birds have 
reached a certain age, they are set free, and a 
gun is fired in their midst to give them a taint 
of the wild. John was much interested, in spite 
of the fact that he considered it " a mean trick. ' ' 
It really does not seem quite fair to take ex- 
cellent, kindly care of any animal or bird, allow 
it to believe you are its friend, and then to sud- 
denly turn it loose and proceed to hunt it for 
mere sport. 

In strange contrast to the merry drive 
through Sherwood Forest, was a little incident 



214 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

which occurred in a village on the edge of ' ' The 
Dukeries ' ' district, where they halted to water 
the horses. On one side of the quaint main 
street is a row of old, old houses, where for 
many years have lived the aged people who are 
usually provided for by the nobleman to whom 
that village belongs. 

All the tiny houses were empty at the time of 
this visit, with the exception of one where lived 
a dear old lady, by herself, her neighbors hav- 
ing all died. Mrs. Pitt went in to call upon her, 
as do most strangers passing through here, and 
was touched by her pathetic speech. She said 
they were simply waiting to tear down the 
houses until she should go, and looking tear- 
fully up into Mrs. Pitt's face, added: " I'm 
eighty-six years old now, and I won't last much 
longer, but I can't go until the Lord calls me, 
can II " In spite of this, she insisted that she 
was quite happy, for she had her " good 
feather bed," — and what more could she need? 

The following morning, the party went by 
train to Nottingham, where they spent a short 
time in exploring. The present town is much 
like others, except in its legendary connec- 
tion with Eobin Hood. All visitors might not 



SHERWOOD FOREST 215 

find it as fascinating as did Mrs. Pitt and the 
young people, who knew it as the abode of the 
disagreeable Sheriff whom Robin Hood heartily 
hated, and upon whom he continually played so 
many tricks, always evading punishment most 
successfully. They pictured the gay procession 
of soldiers and knights which accompanied King 
John when he entered that city, as the Sheriff's 
guest; and to them the old market- square (the 
largest in all England) suggested the scene of 
Eobin Hood's masquerade as a butcher. There 
they halted and imagined him standing beside 
his booth, and calling out: " Now who'll buy I 
who'll buy? Four fixed prices have I. Three 
pennyworths of meat I sell to a fat friar or 
priest for sixpence, for I want not their cus- 
tom ; stout aldermen I charge threepence, for it 
doth not matter to me whether they buy or not ; 
to buxom dames I sell three pennyworths of 
meat for one penny, for I like their custom well ; 
but to the bonny lass that hath a liking for a 
good tight butcher, I charge nought but one 
fair kiss, for I like her custom the best of 
all." 

' * It was here in Nottingham that Will Stutely 
had his narrow escape, wasn't it? " questioned 



2i6 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Betty. ' ' He was captured by the Sheriff 's men 
at ' Ye Blue Boar Inn,' and they brought him 
to town and would have hanged him, if Eobin 
Hood and his men hadn't arrived just in time 
to save his life. Once Little John came to Not- 
tingham Town and lived for some time in the 
Sheriff's own castle, pretending to be the cook. 
My ! what lots of things happened here ! ' ' 

Not far away are splendid Chatsworth House, 
one of the palaces of the Duke of Devonshire, 
and lovely Haddon Hall, with its romantic story, 
and both of these famous places received a visit 
from Mrs. Pitt and her party. 

Chatsworth, I am afraid, was not fully ap- 
preciated by our friends. It has a most beauti- 
ful situation — in the valley of the Derwent, 
which rushes along through the extensive park ; 
the house itself is magnificent — ^filled with fine 
marble halls and rooms, and costly treasures 
of art; and in the gardens almost every sover- 
eign of Europe seems to have planted some kind 
of a tree. One curious thing did wonderfully 
please the children's fancy; that is, a marvelous 
weeping-willow tree, from the metal twigs and 
branches of which tiny streams of water come at 
a sign from the gardener. But somehow, on the 



HADDON HALL 217 

whole, Chatsworth is cold and unfeeling, and 
failed to appeal to the party. 

Not so was it with Haddon Hall ! The most 
prosaic summer tourist could hardly fail to be 
moved by admiration of its delights. It is still 
a real home, and seems alive with memories of 
the fair Dorothy Vernon and her family. The 
old castle has scarcely changed at all since the 
sixteenth century, and one feels as though the 
great lords and ladies of Queen Elizabeth's time 
had thoughtfully stepped out on the teri:ace, in 
order that we might wander through their noble 
old dwelling. 

The custodian was having her afternoon-tea 
when the party arrived; she did not think of 
hurrying in the slightest, but leisurely finished 
this most important meal, and then received the 
visitors' fees and allowed them to enter. 

*' I feel as though I had walked into a story ! " 
remarked Betty quietly. '' Is Dorothy at 
home? " 

The various buildings of Haddon Hall are 
built around two square courts. The oldest bit 
is the ancient chapel, in part dating from Nor- 
man times, and in which the Vernon family 
worshiped for four hundred years. It still 



2i8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

contains some old wooden pews, and traces 
of grotesque paintings may be seen upon its 
walls. 

" Where are we going now? "whispered Bar- 
bara, keeping close to Betty, as the guide led 
them down a very dark passage, with an uneven 
stone floor. ' ' Oh, it 's the kitchen ! ' ' 

A light had now been struck, and the huge fire- 
places of this kitchen of bygone days could be 
seen. Everything seemed complete, even to the 
woodbox which once held the tremendous logs. 

^' How in the world could they see to cook 
in such a dark place? " inquired the practical 
John. 

" Oh, there were probably great torches fas- 
tened to the walls, and then there are some tiny 
windows. When your eyes grow accustomed to 
the dim light, you can see fairly well. I should 
think, though, that once in a while, the cook 
might have put a little too much salt in the 
pasty," Mrs. Pitt replied laughingly. 

An exceedingly curious feature of Haddon's 
Banqueting-hall is an iron bracket with a ring, 
which is between the entrance doors. Natu- 
rally, Mrs. Pitt was called upon to explain this. 

" Well," said she, " it's worth an explana- 



HADDON HALL 219 

tion, for it has a strange purpose. Any guest 
who could not or would not drink as much as 
was required of htm by the laws of hospitality, 
had his arm fastened up to that ring, and what 
he had refused to take was poured down his 
sleeve. Fancy! For my part, I should con- 
sider that a sad waste ! Speaking of drinking, I 
wonder if you really know what it means when 
a man pledges or drinks a health. It's a very 
ancient custom! Back in the days of Saxon 
England, it very often happened that a man 
would be stabbed while drinking, so it became 
the habit for him to turn to his neighbor and 
ask if he would ' pledge ' him. If he agreed, 
his duty was to keep guard over his friend who 
wished to drink. A trace of this caution still 
exists at Queen's College, Oxford. There the 
students who wait upon the ' fellows, ' stand be- 
hind them and place their right thumbs upon the 
table." 

The round steps in the Long Gallery are said 
to have been cut from one great oak, grown on 
the estate. Up these they went, and followed 
the guide to the celebrated Ball-room, which is 
so often and so beautifully pictured. This long 
room is exquisite with its carved paneling, pol- 



220 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ished, inlaid floor, and lovely bay-windows over- 
looking the terrace. 

" Here the ball was in progress at the time 
of Dorothy Vernon's escape. It was the wed- 
ding night of Dorothy's sister, wasn't it? At 
any rate, while every one was engrossed in the 
dancing and merrymaking, Dorothy quietly 
slipped away, ran through this door here, along 
the terrace, and out to a certain tree in the park 
where her lover was awaiting her with the 
horses. That's the story, and certainly it is a 
pretty one, ' ' concluded Mrs. Pitt. 

Just off the Ball-room is the State Bed-room, 
which claims to have had Queen Elizabeth as an 
occupant. The great bed, fourteen feet six 
inches high, is considered one of the finest in 
England, and is finished in green velvet and 
white satin. 

They strolled out through Dorothy Vernon's 
door and along the lovely terrace, over which 
the solemn yew-trees hang low. From here is 
seen a charming view of the garden, hemmed in 
upon one side by that part of the castle con- 
taining the Ball-room. The sun was just set- 
ting as they lingered upon the steps of the ter- 
race, and it flooded everything with a golden 



HADDON HALL 221 

light. The scene was so beautiful that all were 
silent as they gazed and gazed. Betty finally 
rose with a deep sigh, and said: 

" Well, I suppose Dorothy knew what she 
was about, but I'm sure that I should never have 
run away from Haddon Hall ! ' ' 



CHAPTER FIFTEEN 

WINCHESTEB, SALISBUEY, AND STOISTEHENGE 

It was not until they were well on their way 
toward Winchester, that Mrs. Pitt fonnd a 
chance to tell the young people something about 
that ancient city which they were so soon to 
see. 

*' Winchester has a cathedral, hasn't it? " 
Betty had inquired. '^ 1 always like to see 
those." 

'' Yes, indeed," replied Mrs. Pitt. '' There 
surely is a cathedral, for it's the longest one in 
all Europe with the exception of St. Peter's at 
Eome. I'm certain you will enjoy that; but 
what I think you'll appreciate even more are 
the associations which Winchester has with the 
life of Alfred the Great. You all remember 
about him, don't you? " 

^' The fellow who burnt the cakes? " put in 
John, jeeringly. 

' ' Yes, but he was also * the fellow ' who led 

222 



WINCHESTER 223 

his army at a time when the country was in 
great danger — ^who dressed as a minstrel and 
dared to go even into the very camp of the 
enemy, so as to investigate their movements. 
You certainly like that in him, John? " 

" I know it! That was great! " John an- 
swered warmly. " Please tell us some more 
about him, Mrs. Pitt." 

*' To me he has always been one of the most 
lovable as well as admirable characters in all 
our English history. He came to the throne at 
a time when his wise leadership was greatly 
needed, and he fought long and valiantly for his 
country. "When he burnt the cakes, John, it was 
merely because his thoughts were so busy with 
the plans for England's future. Alfred made 
Winchester the capital of his whole realm, and 
here he lived with all the court, when there was 
peace in the land. Part of Alfred's boyhood 
had been spent here, too, when he was the pupil 
of the wise St. Swithin ; and, at Winchester, he 
made the good and just laws for which he will 
always be remembered. Within the walls of 
old Wolvesley Castle, the famous ' Anglo-Saxon 
Chronicle ' was commenced, at the command of 
the King. But besides all these useful deeds, 



224 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Alfred had such a beautiful personality that his 
family and all the people of his kingdom loved 
him, and called him ' the perfect King. ' I have 
long admired this little tribute which one his- 
torian has given Alfred the Great. He says 
this ; I think these are the very words : ' He was 
loved by his father and mother, and even by all 
the people, above all by his brothers. As he ad- 
vanced through the years of infancy and youth, 
his form appeared more comely than that of his 
brothers ; in look, in speech, and in manners, he 
was more graceful than they. His noble nature 
implanted in him from his cradle a love of wis- 
dom above all things.' And so, through all the 
centuries between his time and ours. King Al- 
fred's name has stood for all that is just, kind, 
wise, and beautiful." 

'' Where was King Alfred buried, Mother? " 
asked Barbara. 

" I'll show you his grave — or what is sup- 
posed to be his. But here we are at Win- 
chester now! " cried Mrs. Pitt; '* and the sun 
has come out just for our special benefit, 
too! " 

In a " cathedral town, ' ' one is usually drawn 
first of all to the cathedral itself, it being the 



WINCHESTER 225 

central point about wMch. the whole town seems 
to cluster; and so it was that Mrs. Pitt led the 
way down the shaded walk between the broad 
stretches of lawn surrounding the great struc- 
ture. To her great disappointment, an ugly 
net-work of staging entirely spoiled the effect of 
the exterior of the building. 

' ' I once read a book which an American wrote 
about his trip abroad, ' ' related Mrs. Pitt. ' ' It 
amused me very much ! After visiting a really 
remarkable number of churches and important 
buildings which were undergoing reconstruction 
or strengthening, this gentleman ventured the 
belief that the authorities must have made a 
mistake in the date of his arrival, for everything 
seemed to point to the preparation of a splendid 
reception to him anywhere from a week to a 
month later. I feel that way to-day. The Win- 
chester people certainly could not have expected 
us just yet. It's a pity that we cannot see this 
grand cathedral at its best ! " 

The usual feeling of quiet awe came over the 
party upon entering the edifice, and this was 
here somehow increased by the vastness of the 
interior. Their footsteps echoed strangely on 
the stone floor, and looking up at the arches 



226 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

above her head, Betty began to walk about on 
tiptoe. 

'' The marriage of Queen Mary with Philip 
of Spain took place in this cathedral," Mrs. Pitt 
said. " In Bishop Langton's Chapel here, is an 
old chair said to have been used by the Queen 
at the ceremony. Notice the six wooden chests 
above that screen. They contain the bones of 
some of the old, old kings — ^William Rufus, 
Canute, Egbert, Ethelwolf, and others. Once 
upon a time, there was a very famous shrine 
here — that of St. Swithin. You remember the 
legend which tells how the body of that saint was 
delayed from being removed to the chapel al- 
ready fitted to receive it, by forty days of rain. 
That's why when we have nasty, rainy weather 
in England, we always blame St. Swithin. 

" I'll show you the tomb of the well-known 
authoress, Jane Austen, and that of Izaak Wal- 
ton, who is buried in one of the chapels. The 
former lived her last days and died in this town, 
and it was in the little river Itchen which flows 
through Winchester, that Izaak Walton used to 
fish. They were both laid to rest here in the 
cathedral, near the scenes which they dearly 
loved." 



WINCHESTER 227 

The environs of tlie cathedral are very pretty, 
and one of the most picturesque features is the 
old Deanery, where Charles 11 once lodged. 
Just outside the cathedral close is the modest 
little house which was Jane Austen's home. 

Winchester School was visited, — a very fa- 
mous old institution which is connected with 
New College, Oxford, and was built by William 
of Wykeham in 1396, — and the vine-covered 
ruins of old Wolvesley Castle, which stand on 
the outskirts of the town, and near the river. 

" Didn't you say that this was where King 
Alfred had them write the ' Anglo-Saxon Chron- 
icle '? " Betty asked of Mrs. Pitt. '' Will you 
please tell us what that was? I don't seem to 
remember very well. ' ' 

' ' Well, dear, the ' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ' is 
the ' first history of the English People,' as 
some one has correctly said. Part of it was 
written by Alfred himself, and the rest was done 
by others, under his direction. It is simply a 
record of all important events which were writ- 
ten down as they took place. The ' Chronicle ' 
grew and grew for about two hundred and fifty 
years, the last mention being of the accession 
to the throne of Henry II, in 1154. For many 



22 8 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

years it was kept here at its birthplace, but it 
has now been moved to the library of Corpus 
Christi College at Oxford. You see, therefore, 
that this important work really marked the start 
of the wonderful succession of literary produc- 
tions which Englishmen have brought forth in 
these one thousand years." 

Quite at the other end of the town from 
Wolvesley Castle is the County Court, a fine old 
hall, which once upon a time formed part of a 
castle built by William the Conqueror. Mrs. Pitt 
had some difficulty in finding the caretaker who 
could admit them, and not until they were actu- 
ally inside did the children understand why 
she was so very anxious that they should 
see it. 

Many were the exclamations of delight, how- 
ever, when the guide pointed to the wall at one 
end of the Norman room, and told them that the 
round, flat object hanging thereupon was 
" King Arthur's Eound Table." 

" What! " cried Betty, her mouth wide open 
in her excitement, ' * the very table at which the 
knights sat! — Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir 
Perceval, Sir Galahad, and all the rest ! Why, I 
never knew it was here, or I should have come to 



WINCHESTER 229 

see it before anything else ! To think of it 's be- 
ing the real table ! ' ' 

It was hard for Mrs. Pitt to tell Betty that all 
the legends concerning this table are pure fic- 
tion. * ' Not all authorities consider its identity 
absolutely certain," she admitted unwillingly, 
'* but we're going to believe in it just the same. 
It must date from the sixth century! Fancy! 
However, it was all repainted in the time of 
Henry VIII, and these peculiar stripes and de- 
vices were the work of some sixteenth century 
brush. ' ' 

Betty sat right down on the floor, and stared 
up at the table of her adored King Arthur and 
his knights. With much difficulty could Mrs. 
Pitt persuade her to leave the hall, and that was 
not accomplished until after Betty had trust- 
ingly inquired of the guide whether he knew 
where the chairs were in which the knights sat 
when they gathered about the table, for " she'd 
like so much to find them right away. ' ' 

Passing under a gate of the' old city- wall, and 
along the quaint streets of the town, the party 
came to Hyde Abbey, — or what little now re- 
mains of it. 

'' Alfred's body was first buried in the old 



230 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

minster (catliedral) ; then it was carried to the 
new; and last of all, it was removed by the 
monks here to Hyde Abbey, which monastery 
Alfred himself had founded. In the eighteenth 
century the Abbey was almost entirely de- 
stroyed, and then it was that Alfred's true 
burial-place was lost sight of. Later still, in 
making some excavations here, the workmen 
found an ancient coffin which was examined and 
believed to be that of the King. Eeverently it 
was reburied and marked with a flat stone, and 
this doubtful grave is the only trace we now 
have of Alfred the Great." They had all 
quietly followed Mrs. Pitt to the spot where, 
across the way from the Abbey, they saw the 
grave. 

Before returning to the hotel that night, Mrs. 
Pitt suggested that they go to see the old Hos- 
pital of St. Cross. 

" It's only about a mile from the town," 
she said. '' There's a charming little path 
along the banks of the Itchen, and I think 
we'd enjoy the walk in the cool of the after- 
noon. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt was quite correct. It proved a de- 
lightful stroll, leading them to the fertile val- 



WINCHESTER 231 

ley in which Henry de Blois built Ms Hospital 
of St. Cross, by the side of the pleasant little 
river. 

" The Hospital was really founded by Henry 
de Blois, but three centuries later. Cardinal 
Beaufort took much interest in it, made some 
changes and improvements, and greatly aided 
in its support," the children were told. " To 
this day, there is a distinction between the St. 
Cross Brethren and the Beaufort Brethren, but 
this is chiefly confined to the matter of dress. 
Seventeen men are living here now, and are 
most kindly treated, fed, clothed, and allowed to 
plant and tend their own tiny gardens." 

But the most interesting feature of St. Cross 
— that which in so remarkably vivid a way holds 
its connection with the past — is the dole. Since 
the reign of King Stephen, no one applying for 
food or drink at the Beaufort Tower of St. 
Cross Hospital, has ever been turned away. To 
each has been given, during all the centuries, a 
drink of beer and a slice of bread. A slight dis- 
tinction is made between visitors by the scrutiny 
of the Brethren; for, to the tramp is handed a 
long draught of beer from a drinking-horn 
and a huge piece of bread, while to some are 



232 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

offered the old silver-mounted cup, and wooden 
platter. 

'^ Can we have some? " John inquired. " I 
think I might not like the beer, but the bread 
would be all right, and I'm hungry! " 

In spite of Betty's reproving cry of " Why, 
John ! " Mrs. Pitt motioned him to go up to the 
gate, and ring. 

" Yes, it's quite proper for us to apply for 
the dole," she said. '^ Emerson and Carlyle 
once did so, and I imagine they were not in any 
greater need of it than are we. ' ' 

As John received his portions and was look- 
ing at them a bit dubiously, Philip called out to 
him, '' Don't take so much that you can't eat 
your dinner. Jack ! ' ' and then, seeing that John 
had already set down the food untouched, they 
all laughed merrily. 

After breakfasting at Winchester the follow- 
ing morning, an early train carried the party to 
the town of Salisbury, there to see the fairest of 
the English cathedrals, — ^that is, in Mrs. Pitt's 
opinion, of course. 

To say that Salisbury Cathedral stands in the 
center of a velvet-like lawn, to mention the fact 
that a little stream flows musically by, to add 



SALISBURY 233 

that the towers and lines of the building itself 
are wonderfully graceful, is attempting to 
describe things as they exist, but wholly 
inadequate in the impression which it gives to 
the reader. There is an indescribable fascina- 
tion about Salisbury Cathedral, which a person 
must see to understand. Any one who is at all 
responsive to the charm of great architecture, 
can sit for hours under the old trees on the little 
common, and drink in the whole scene, — the 
beautiful building with its delicate shapes out- 
lined in shadows upon the green grass. 

' ' No doubt it is a generally accepted fact that 
Lincoln is the finest of the English cathedrals," 
Mrs. Pitt explained after a time. " Perhajps 
Durham comes next in line, and Canterbury has 
great historical interest. I only assert that to 
me Salisbury is the most beautiful. You know, 
Betty, that the construction of most cathedrals 
was extended over many years, — even many gen- 
erations, usually. Salisbury was an exception 
to that rule, for it was begun and finished within 
forty years (1220 to 1260), and therefore has 
rare harmony and uniformity of style. ' ' 

There are many quaint streets and buildings in 
the town of Salisbury, but these become familiar 



234 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

though always delightful sights to the visitor 
who gives a good share of his time to old Eng- 
land. Having noted the old-fashioned King's 
Arms Inn, which was a secret meeting-place of 
the Eoyalists after the battle of Worcester, the 
party had an early lunch, and then set out to 
drive the ten miles to Stonehenge. 

The road which they took begins to ascend 
gradually, and after about a mile and a half 
brought them to the high mound which was once 
'^ the largest entrenched camp in the kingdom," 
according to Betty's leather-covered Baedek'jr. 
This was the site of Old Sarum, a fort during 
the Eoman occupation, and afterwards a Saxon 
town. Numerous interesting remains of the 
camp are here, and the high elevation affords 
an excellent view of Salisbury and the sur- 
rounding country. 

The rest of the drive was not particularly en- 
joyable. A sharp wind blew over the high Salis- 
bury Plains, which are bare and not very pic- 
turesque to see. In the center of this great 
stretch of plain stands that strange relic of the 
past known as Stonehenge. Being on an eleva- 
tion, the stones stand out weirdly against the 
sky as the visitor approaches, and give him a 



STONEHENGE 235 

foretaste of the peculiar mystery which per- 
vades the place. 

The section is surrounded by a wire fence, and 
a man collects a fee of a shilling before admit- 
ting any one into the company of these gigantic 
rocks, which are standing or lying about in vari- 
ous positions. It seems as though there were 
originally two great circles, one inside the other, 
formed by huge oblong stones, set up on end as a 
child might arrange his blocks. On the tops of 
these, others are in some places still poised, 
though many have fallen. One great stone lies 
broken across the altar. 

After the young people had climbed about and 
thoroughly explored the ruins, they gathered 
around Mrs. Pitt to hear her explanation of the 
place. 

" Well," she began, '' it is generally believed 
that we see here the remains of an ancient tem- 
ple of the Druids. They were half-mythical 
creatures who are thought to have inhabited 
England in prehistoric times. They worshiped 
Nature, — particularly the Sun, and lived out- 
of-doors entirely. Most people consider them 
to have been the originators of this strange 
work, though it has also been attributed to the 



236 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Saxons, the Danes, and, I believe, even the 
Phoenicians. But no matter what people were 
the real builders, there still remains the ques- 
tion of how these tremendous stones were 
brought here in days when there was no ma- 
chinery, and in a district near which no stone- 
quarries could possibly have been. That has 
puzzled men in all ages." 

The laughter and chatter of the members of 
a large " Personally Conducted " party, who 
were having their late lunch in the field just out- 
side the picket-fence, grated upon Mrs. Pitt's 
nerves. Even more than in a cathedral with 
solid walls and a roof, here in this open-air, 
ruined temple, dating from unknown ages, one 
is filled with deepest reverence. It almost seems 
possible to see the ancient Druids who wor- 
shiped there, dressed in robes of purest white. 

In spite of the blue sky, the bright sunshine 
of early afternoon, and the nearness of very 
noisy, human tourists, Betty so felt the strange 
atmosphere which envelopes these huge sen- 
tinels of the past, that she suddenly ex- 
claimed : 

" Oh, please, Mrs. Pitt, let's go back to Salis- 
bury! I can't bear this any longer." 



STONEHENGE 237 

So they drove slowly away over the fields, and 
as Mrs. Pitt turned for a last glance behind, she 
saw the stones looming up in lonely majesty, 
and thought to herself, " They have a secret 
which no one will ever know. ' ' 



CHAPTER SIXTEEN 

CLOVELLY 

A BIG, Mgh, lumbering coacli with four horses 
was slowly carrying Mrs. Pitt and her young 
charges toward Clovelly, — that most famous of 
all English fishing- villages. Betty, having dis- 
covered a photograph of it some weeks before, 
had not ceased talking to the others of her great 
desire to see the place; and finally Mrs. Pitt 
postponed her plans for visiting other and more 
instructive towns, packed up the young people, 
and started for lovely Devonshire. '' Well," 
the kind lady had thought to herself, ' ' perhaps 
it will be just as well for them to have a short 
holiday, and go to a pretty spot where they can 
simply amuse themselves, and not have to learn 
too much history. Bless their little hearts! 
They surely deserve it, for their brains have 
been kept quite busy all the spring, — and I be- 
lieve I shall enjoy Clovelly once again, my- 
self! " 

238 



CLOVELLY 239 

Now that they were actually there, the reali- 
zation was proving even more delightful than 
the anticipation. The weather was perfect, and 
to drive along the cliffs and moors, with a fresh, 
cool breeze blowing up from the blue water 
below, was wonderfully exhilarating. Their 
route led through a country where innumerable 
bright red poppies grow in the fields of grain, 
and where there are genuine '' Devonshire 
lanes," shut in by tall hedges and wild flowers. 
Sometimes they clattered through the narrow 
streets of a tiny village, while the coachman 
snapped his whip, and the postilion in his 
scarlet coat and brass buttons, sounded his 
bugle loudly. As they rolled by farmhouses, 
heads would appear curiously at the windows, 
while children ran out to watch that important 
event, — the passing of the daily coach. One 
rosy-cheeked girl in a blue pinafore tossed a 
bunch of yellow cowslips up into Mrs. Pitt's lap, 
calling out, ' ' Cowslips, lady ; thank ye ! " When 
a sixpence was thrown down to her, she smiled, 
courtesied primly, and then disappeared into the 
nearest cottage, — one of plaster and thatch, 
overgrown with roses. 
However, the crowning joy of the day, even 



240 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

in the opinion of John, who was difficult to 
please, was the first glimpse of quaint little 
Clovelly itself. The coach set them down in 
the middle of a field; a few seafaring men 
stood about, there was a booth or two 
where old women sold fruit, a steep path was 
before them, but no town was anywhere in 
sight. 

" Don't let's go down there," John grumbled. 
^' What's the use? I'd much rather stay up 
on that front seat with the driver. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt smiled knowingly, and still led the 
way on down the walk. The hedges on either 
side were so high and thick that they could not 
see beyond them, and the children were really 
speechless when the path suddenly came to an 
end, and the whole queer little street of Clovelly 
lay before them. For a second no word was 
spoken, then all burst out at once. 

" Well, what do you think of that? " chuckled 
John. " Just look at the donkeys! " 

* ' And the pink and white doll 's houses ! "ex- 
claimed Barbara. 

' ' And the funny cobble-stone street ! ' ' cried 
Philip. 

** And the blue, blue water at its feet!" 



CLOVELLY 241 

rhymed Betty, all unconsciously. ' ' I just know 
the Mediterranean isn't any bluer! " 

'' Isn't it the dearest, oddest little place! " 
put in Mrs. Pitt, summing up all the children's 

remarks in one. '' I do think it's ." But 

here Betty interrupted her. 

"Look at that little girl!" she fairly 
screamed. " Don't let her run down that steep 
street like that ! She mustn't do it ! " 

Mrs. Pitt, after one look at the child, merely 
laughed and replied, '' Don't worry, Betty; 
she's used to it. She's probably done it all her 
life, and she'll never fall. Now, I turn you all 
loose for two hours. Explore the place to your 
heart 's content, for it will be long before you see 
such another. Come to the New Inn (that's it, 
where the sign is!) at one-thirty for luncheon." 

Enthusiastically the four started off. At 
first they all picked their way carefully and 
slowly down over the smooth, slippery stones, 
but gradually they became more expert in keep- 
ing their balance, and could go faster. The two 
boys made straight for the foot of the town to 
see the harbor and fishing-boats; Barbara and 
Betty were bent on investigating all the nooks, 
corners, and tiny shops of the little place; and 



242 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Mrs. Pitt contentedly settled herself on the mini- 
ature piazza of the New Inn, and looked with 
never-failing interest and delight at the scene 
before her. 

To explain more in detail, Clovelly is built in 
what was once a torrent-bed, and the village 
tumbles down from the top of the cliff to the 
very edge of Hartland Bay. The droll, Italian- 
like cottages cling to the hillside, or seem to 
grow directly out of the gray rock. At first, the 
street descends rather gradually and straight, 
but after a short distance, it zigzags first to left 
and then to right, twists and turns, takes one un- 
der parts of houses, into private yards, out to 
look-off points, and then pitches very, very 
abruptly down to the Eed Lion Inn, which 
guards the little harbor with its long, curving 
sea-wall and tiny lighthouse. 

From where Mrs. Pitt sat she had a splendid 
view up and down the street, which was then 
crowded, it being the busiest time of the season. 
Just below her, up against the piazza, sat an 
artist, bent eagerly forward toward his easel, 
and absolutely oblivious of the throngs of peo- 
ple who were noisily passing close by. There 
were tourists in gay attire, children romping 



CLOVELLY 243 

about in their queer shoes with nails on the 
bottom to prevent slipping, big stalwart men 
sliding luggage down on sledges, and patient 
little mules, which struggled up with big trunks 
fastened to shelf-like saddles over their backs. 
To this busy scene the bright little dwellings 
which line the way, add the finishing touch. The 
roof of one house is on a level with the second- 
story window of that above it; the vines are 
luxuriant, climbing sometimes up over the very 
chimneys, and flower-beds and flower-boxes are 
everywhere. A holiday, festive air seems uni- 
versal. 

'^ Where can one see such a scene? " mused 
Mrs. Pitt. ' ' Not in Italy surely, for there the 
' picturesque dirt, ' as they call it, is so much in 
evidence. For my part, I prefer the exquisite 
neatness and cleanliness of Clovelly. ' ' 

Lunch at the New Inn tasted very good, — 
especially as here the young people first made 
the acquaintance of the much-praised " Devon- 
shire cream." Served with wild strawberries, 
or any other fruit, this thick cream is truly deli- 
cious, and unlike anything else. The meal it- 
self was partaken of in the Annex, a larger, 
newer house across the way, but having finished, 



244 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

the party returned to the original hostelry. It 
is the tiniest house imaginable, and the little 
rooms are so crowded with furniture, the land- 
lord's collection of fine old china, and knick- 
knacks of all sorts, that John endangered many 
valued treasures by his awkward movements. 
Once, in passing some people in the hall, his el- 
bow struck a small cabinet of blue china, and 
there would have been a terrible catastrophe 
had not Mrs. Pitt arrived upon the scene at the 
opportune moment. 

" Oh, bother! " exclaimed John, very much 
irritated, and more ashamed of his clumsiness 
than he cared to show. " How can a fellow 
have room to breathe in a bandbox like this! 
Come along, Philip; I'm going down to talk 
some more with those sailors." 

The old fishermen who can no longer follow 
their loved trade sit sunning themselves com- 
fortably on the doorsteps of their Clovelly 
homes, gazing dreamily out to sea. When Mrs. 
Pitt, Barbara, and Betty went to find the 
boys toward tea-time, they discovered them sit- 
ting by a group of these old cronies, who were 
ensconced upon a bench affording a beautiful 
view of the lower part of the town, the bay, and 



CLOVELLY 245 

the cliffs of the rugged coast. The tide had 
filled the little harbor, and numerous small boats 
with copper-colored sails bobbed about on the 
opal waters ; near the Red Lion Inn stood a row 
of sleepy-looking mules waiting for the start 
up the street. 

The men had been exchanging fishermen's 
yams, much to the pleasure of their audience, 
but when the ladies appeared, they commenced 
telling ghost-stories or curious bits of folk-lore. 
One tale especially amused the girls, although 
John thought he preferred the wild adventures 
of the sea. 

After looking long out over the bay, the par- 
ticular old salt who was then entertaining them, 
removed the pipe from between his teeth, and 
began the following. Mrs. Pitt took pains to re- 
member it, and this is how it reads to this very 
day in her journal : 

' ' The father of a certain fair young girl had 
been carried off by smugglers, and kept for ' a 
year and a day,' — ^until a large sum of money 
was finally paid for his release. He only lived a 
short time after his return home, however, and 
his daughter died soon after, worn out by 
anxiety about her father. This young lady's 



246 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ghost continually haunts a certain little village 
in Devon, where some of the fisherfolk were 
said to have taken part in the kidnaping of her 
father. Instead of doing anything more violent, 
the ghpst simply appears on Sunday mornings, 
just as the dinners are being cooked, and touches 
the meat with her white, bony hand, thereby ren- 
dering it unfit to eat. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt's famous journal, which is often re- 
ferred to, contains also this story heard that 
day at Clovelly: 

" In front of a certain farm-house was a 
large, flat stone, which tradition said was as old 
as the Flood. Here, at midnight, there always 
appeared a female figure, clad in a gray cloak 
and an old-fashioned black bonnet. The ap- 
parition would remain there until dawn, always 
knocking, knocking upon the stone. The inhab- 
itants of the house nearby became so used to 
' Nelly the Knocker,' as she was called, that 
they paid no attention whatever to her, did not 
fear her in the least, and would even stop to ex- 
amine her queer garments. Finally, however, 
two young men of the family decided to solve 
the mystery, so they blasted the rock one day. 
To their great surprise, underneath were lying 



CLOVELLY 247 

two large urns, packed with gold, which treasure 
enriched them for the rest of their days. But 
' Nelly the Knocker ' came no more." 

In place of repairing to the somewhat stuffy 
dining-room at the inn, they had their tea just 
outside one of the most sightly cottages, and 
were served by a pretty young girl. The china 
was coarse and the thick slices, cut with a big 
knife from huge loaves of bread, were by no 
means daintily served, but it could not have 
tasted better, and John ate a truly alarming 
amount of bread and jam. 

At Clovelly, the summer twilights are very 
long and lovely, and down on the breakwater our 
friends enjoyed this one to the full. One might 
look over the blue expanse of bay and see the 
faint outlines of the coast of Wales, and then 
turn and gaze at the picturesque harbor and the 
quaint, hanging village, in the houses of which, 
lights were slowly beginning to twinkle, one 
after another. They stayed until it was quite 
dark, and were even then loath to wend their 
way up the steep street, and to waste so many 
hours by going to bed in the " Doll's House," as 
John persisted in calling the New Inn. 

' ' Well, ' ' said Betty comfortingly, ' ' it will be 



248 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

fun after all, — sleeping in that funny wee inn, 
where there are only four bedrooms in the 
whole house. I choose the one with the pink 
rose peeping in the window ! I saw it this morn- 
ing. Come on. ' ' 

The next day dawned as fair as one could 
wish, and at Mrs. Pitt's suggestion a walk along 
the '' Hobby Drive " was first taken. This 
charming road was built by a Mr. Hamlin, the 
owner of the town of Clovelly, who lives at 
Clovelly Court. The drive starts just at the top 
of the village, and extends for three miles along 
the edge of the cliffs. The views are startlingly 
beautiful ! Through the fresh green of the trees 
and vines, glimpses of the deep blue sea are to 
be had, and to add to the vivid coloring, there is 
the peculiar red rock which belongs to that 
part of the coast. 

As they were retracing their steps, Mrs. Pitt 
said with slight hesitation : 

*' I promise not to give you very much his- 
tory while you are here, but I must tell you just 
a bit about the relation which all this country 
bears to Charles Kingsley's great book, ' West- 
ward Ho! * Have you never read it, John? 
Fancy ! I '11 get it for you at once ! Well, Bide- 



CLOVELLY 249 

ford is the nearest town to Clovelly, and it was 
from there that Amyas Leigh, Salvation Yeo, 
and all the rest set out with Sir Francis Drake. 
By the by, that very sailor, Salvation Yeo, was 
born in the old Red Lion Inn, at the foot of the 
Clovelly street. Oh, you'd like him, John, and 
all his brave adventures ! At Clovelly Court, in 
the days of the story, lived Will Cary, another of 
the well-known characters in ' Westward Ho !, ' 
and in the little parish church very near there, 
Charles Kingsley's father was rector. Kings- 
ley himself was at Clovelly a great deal, and 
probably gained here his knowledge of the seas 
and those who sail them. One of those old fish- 
ermen last night (he who claimed to be ninety- 
eight) told me that he used to know Charles 
Kingsley well, and I suppose it is possible." 

That afternoon toward tea-time, after another 
fascinating roam about the town, — ^into its back- 
yards and blind alleys, and along its pebbly 
beach, — as well as numerous exciting rides on 
the backs of the mules, the party gathered on the 
tiny veranda of the New Inn, crowding it to its 
utmost capacity. The purpose of this formal 
meeting was to decide where they should go the 
following morning, as they were then leaving 



250 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Clovelly. Mrs. Pitt had promised them a week 
more of play in Devonshire before their trip to 
Canterbury, and she advised visits to Bideford, 
Minehead, Porlock, Lynton, Lynmonth, and 
finally Torquay. As the young people had no 
ideas of their own upon the subject and as they 
had vast confidence in anything Mrs. Pitt pro- 
posed, this plan was at once adopted. 

'' These places are all by the sea," Mrs. Pitt 
continued, " and I'm quite sure you'll like them. 
Torquay is just a watering-place, with big ho- 
tels, terraces, and gardens, but oh ! it is so lovely, 
and nearby is the duckiest little village of Cock- 
ington! You'll never leave the thatched cot- 
tages there, Betty! Lynmouth is very fine, 
with its combination of mountain and seaside 
views, and its moors. Close by is the Doone 
Valley, which figures so prominently in the story 
of ' Lorna Doone,' and we'll visit that. It will 
all be beautiful — beautiful as only England and 
Devonshire can be — but you'll find nothing at 
all like this strange little Clovelly, so enjoy it 
while you may ! ' ' 




"You'll find nothing at all like this stkange little 
Clovelly." — Page 250. 



CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

EOCHESTEK AND CANTERBUEY 

As soon as the familiar chugging of the motor 
was heard at the front door in Cavendish 
Square, John hurried out. Just as he was ex- 
amining all the chauffeur's arrangements for 
the trip, and looking with approval over the 
entire automobile, the whir of the engine sud- 
denly gasped, struggled to catch its breath, and 
then ceased altogether. The chauffeur, per- 
fectly unconcerned, swung himself off from his 
seat and sauntered around to ' ' crank her up, ' ' 
but his expression of assurance soon changed, 
for the motor refused to start. 

John's face was pitiful to see. '' Oh, 
bother ! " he cried, running to where the chauf- 
feur stood, in front of the hood. ' ' Why has it 
got to go and spoil it all like that! It's mean, I 
say! Can't you fix her? What's wrong? " 

Off came the chauffeur 's nicely-brushed coat, 
his clean hands handled oily tools, and a big 

251 



252 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

streak of grease soonappeareduponMs trousers. 
Great was his humiliation ! After about fifteen 
minutes of disagreeable work, all was well, 
however, — the engine started, and the sound was 
again smooth and steady. John's expression 
was radiant, and he came to help the ladies in, 
while the forlorn chauffeur retired to make him- 
self presentable, 

'' Now, we're off for Canterbury! " John an- 
nounced triumphantly, as they at last glided 
around a corner into Piccadilly. 

Slowly and carefully they wended their way 
down to London Bridge, crossed, and stopped 
for a moment before the site of the old Tabard 
Inn. 

"I'm going to take you to Canterbury by the 
very road which Chaucer's pilgrims in all prob- 
ability traveled, and I thought that to make the 
illusion as perfect as possible, we really should 
halt here in Southwark. This is where the pil- 
grims met, you know, and from here they set out 
in the lovely month of April : the ' verray per- 
fight, gentil knight,' his son, the gay young 
squire, the stout Wife of Bath, the dainty pri- 
oress, the pale clerk (or scholar), the merchant 
with his fine beaver hat, the parson, the plow- 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 253 

man, the pardonner, the sunmioner, the cook, 
and all the rest ! They traveled on horseback, 
you remember, and to beguile the tedious hours 
when they advanced slowly along the dusty 
road, they took turns in telling the stories which 
Chaucer gives us in the wonderful ' Canter- 
bury Tales.' " 

" I never did know just why they went," 
Betty ventured, in some confusion lest they 
should laugh at her. 

" Neither did I! " John promptly seconded. 
" Please tell us, Mrs. Pitt." 

' ' Dear me, yes ! I certainly will, for you 
must surely understand that! " After pausing 
a moment in order to think how best to make 
her meaning clear, Mrs. Pitt went on in her 
pleasant voice. '^ You see, pilgrimages were al- 
ways made to some especial shrine ! We '11 take 
Becket's for an example. After his terrible 
murder, Becket was immediately canonized 
(that is, made a saint), and for many years a 
very celebrated shrine to him existed at Canter- 
bury Cathedral. In those days, sumptuous vel- 
vets and abundant jewels adorned the shrines, 
and if a person journeyed to one, it meant that 
his sins were all atoned for. It was a very easy 



254 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

thing, you see. If a man had committed a 
wrong, all he had to do was to go to some shrine, 
say certain prayers there, and he thought him- 
self forgiven. Such trips cost men practically 
nothing, for pilgrims might usually be freely 
eared for at the monasteries along the route; a 
man was quite sure of good company ; and alto- 
gether, it was very pleasant to see the world in 
this way. The numerous terrible dangers to be 
met with only added the spice of excitement to 
many. In short, such numbers of poor men 
started off on these religious pilgrimages, leav- 
ing their families uncared for, that the clergy 
finally were forced to interfere. Laws were 
then made which compelled a man to procure a 
license for the privilege of going to a shrine, and 
these permits were not granted to all. You un- 
derstand then, that toward noted shrines such as 
St. Thomas a Becket's, pilgrims singly and in 
companies were always flocking, and among 
these was the little group which Chaucer has 
made so familiar and real to us all. ' ' 

" Here's Deptford," announced John by and 
by, seeing the name upon some sign. '' What 
went on here? " 

" What makes you think anything * went on 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 255 

liere '! " Mrs. Pitt exclaimed. '' Fancy! What 
a curious boy ! " 

" Oh] " John burst out. " That's easy 
enough! I haven't seen more than about two 
or three places in all this country where some 
fellow didn't do something, or some important 
thing go on. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt pushed up her veil, removed her 
glasses, and wiped the tears of laughter from 
her eyes. '^ I think you are about right, John. 
And something did happen here in Deptford ; in 
fact, there were several things. First, I'll tell 
you that it was here that Queen Elizabeth came 
in 1581 and visited the ship in which Drake had 
been around the world. The Queen dined on 
board the vessel and knighted Drake while 
there. Event number two was the death of 
Christopher Marlowe, one of the greatest of 
all England's dramatists. Marlowe was only 
thirty years old when he was killed in a vulgar 
fight in a tavern. Fancy! Poor Anne of 
Cleves, after the early divorce from her royal 
husband, lived near Deptford, at Place House. 
"Writers say that she used often to go up to Lon- 
don, and visit the Court, just as though she had 
not been (for a few short days, to be sure) the 



256 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

' first lady of the land,' as you Americans say. 
Poor Anne ! She always seemed a pitiful char- 
acter to my mind. She couldn't help it if Henry 
Vin didn't find her good to look upon! " 

Beyond Deptford, as they were smoothly glid- 
ing along, all at once there came a loud report. 

* ' Goodness ! ' ' cried John. * ' What in the 
world was that ! ' ' Then he shouted with laugh- 
ter at the frightened expression on Betty's face. 

' '■ Dearie me ! It must be a ' blow-out ' ! Is 
that the trouble, Jo ? Yes ? Well, come, girls ; 
we may as well step out." There was forced 
resignation in Mrs. Pitt's voice; she was trying 
not to mind the delay. 

For forty minutes she and the girls sat by 
the roadside and watched the chauffeur and the 
two boys at work on the tire. It seemed as 
though every part of this operation took longer 
than usual. The tools seemed never so easily 
mislaid; it surely was a longer task than ever 
to inflate the tube, and then to fit on the wheel- 
rim. Finally, however, the three rose, grimy 
and dusty, but triumphant, and ready to set 
forth once again. 

The accident came just at the edge of Black- 
heath, amid very historic surroundings. Some 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 257 

one has called Blackheath the Rotten Row of the 
olden days, for there royalty and fashionable 
people of the town went to ride and disport 
themselves, just as they now do in Hyde Park; 
and there important guests on the way to Lon- 
don, were wont to be met with much ceremony 
by the Mayor and certain great citizens. After 
the battle of Agincourt, the victor, Henry V, 
when retumuig to London, was given a mag- 
nificent reception at Blackheath, and many were 
the speeches of praise which had been prepared. 
The great soldier cut them all short, however, 
insisting that the honor be given God. At 
Blackheath, his descendant, Henry VIII, first 
saw Anne of Cleves (officially, that is), and 
straightway decided to divorce her. But per- 
haps the most joyful scene of all those at Black- 
heath, took place on the May morning when 
Charles II came into his own, and all England 
was glad, after the dark days of the Common- 
wealth and the iron rule of the sober Puritans. 
'' This," declared Mrs. Pitt a little later, " is 

* Shooter's Hill.' That should bear a familiar 
sound. How many have ever read Dickens's 

* Tale of Two Cities '? You have, I know, 
Philip. Well, in the second chapter, the stage 



258 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

which carried Mr. Jarvis Lorry on his way, is 
described as slowly mounting this very hill, 
while most of its passengers toil along the wet, 
snowy road, by its side. Do you remember, 
Betty? You must try to think over all of 
Dickens's works which you have ever read, for 
we are coming to a district which that author 
knew well and often put into his novels. ' ' 

Sure enough, they almost felt as though they 
had stepped into the world of Dickens 's stories, 
for so many of the places mentioned therein 
they were able to find. Slowly they drove 
through Eochester's streets, stopping when 
they came to any spot of especial interest. 

'' Here's the old Bull Inn," said Mrs. Pitt, 
pointing it out as she spoke. '' It is supposed 
that there are no less than twenty-five inns 
named in Dickens's ' Pickwick Papers ' alone. 
This is one of them, for Room Number Seven- 
teen was Mr. Pickwick's bedroom, and there is 
also Winkle's, which was ' inside of Mr. Tup- 
man's.' Come, shall we go in? " 

The landlord of the Bull has most carefully 
preserved and cared for all which is of even the 
slightest interest in connection with Dickens or 
his books. He most kindly took Mrs. Pitt and 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 259 

her party all about the old house, showing them 
everything, — ^including the room where the fa- 
mous ball in '' Pickwick Papers " was held. 

Leaving the Bull, they noted the Crown Inn, 
on the site of the one where Henry VIII went 
privately to take a look at Anne of Cleves, and 
the old White Hart, built in Richard II 's reign, 
which once sheltered Samuel Pepys. In 
Restoration House (built in 1587) Charles II 
stayed after his landing at Dover. 

'' ' Dickens wrote thus about Restoration 
House in " Great Expectations," ' " Betty read 
from the guidebook. " ' I had stopped to look 
at the house as I passed, and its seared red brick 
walls, blocked windows and strong green ivy 
clasping even the stacks of chimneys with its 
twigs and tendrils, as if with sinewy arms, made 
up a rich and attractive mystery. ' ' ' 

'' Doesn't that describe it exactly? "exclaimed 
Mrs. Pitt, with enthusiasm. " That house al- 
ways fascinated me, too. When Dickens last 
visited Rochester, it is said that he was seen 
gazing long at this old place, and some have 
thought that the result of those reflections would 
have appeared in the next chapter of ' Edwin 
Drood, ' which novel, as you know, he never fin- 



26o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

ished. Now, we'll drive out to take a look at 
Gad's Hill. Luckily, this is Wednesday, so we 
will be admitted." 

After making inquiries, Mrs. Pitt learned that 
the owner of Gad's Hill throws it open only 
on the afternoon of each Wednesday; so they 
took their luncheon first, and then motored the 
mile and a half to Dickens 's home. 

Gad's Hill is charming! Dickens was de- 
voted to this square, vine-covered house, where 
he resided from 1856 to the time of his death, in 
1870. The story goes that when he was a small 
boy the place had a great attraction for him, and 
that one day his father, wishing to spur him on 
in a way peculiar to parents, reminded him that 
if he worked hard and persevered until he was a 
grown man, he might own that very estate, or 
one like it. 

As they left the house, Mrs. Pitt said, " This 
hill is the spot where took place the robbery of 
the travelers in Shakespeare's ^ Henry IV.' 
The inn just opposite Gad's Hill is the 
Falstaff Inn, probably built about Queen 
Anne's time. It used to have an old sign with 
pictures of Falstaff and the ' Merry Wives of 
Windsor ' upon it. I read that in the olden 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 261 

days ninety coaclies daily stopped here. 
Fancy! " 

" Well," observed Betty, " I shall certainly 
enjoy reading Dickens better than ever, when I 
get home, for now I've seen his study where he 
wrote. It makes things so much more real 
somehow, doesn't it, Mrs. Pitt? " 

Having visited the cathedral and the old 
castle, they now left Rochester, and found that 
the run to Canterbury was rather longer than 
they had realized. 

'' But really, you know," Mrs. Pitt had inter- 
vened, " Rochester is just about halfway be- 
tween the two, London and Canterbury, I would 
say. And we did stop quite a bit to see the 
sights connected with Dickens." 

At last, however, about six in the afternoon, 
they came in sight of Canterbury, its great 
cathedral towering over all, — its timbered 
houses, old city-gate, and narrow, picturesque 
streets. As usual, the young people who never 
seemed to need a rest, desired to start sight- 
seeing at once, but unfortunately a sudden thun- 
der-shower came up to prevent. 

'' Oh, well, it will stop soon," Betty assured 
them. *' It always does in England." 



262 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

This time, the weather was not so kind, how- 
ever. The rain continued persistently, and the 
party was forced to remain at the inn the entire 
evening. 

Sunshine, even though it be sometimes a bit 
dim and watery, is never long absent during an 
English summer, so the morning dawned bright 
and clear. Just as they set forth from the hotel, 
Betty felt in her coat pocket and found that her 
precious red notebook, in which she inscribed all 
interesting facts and discoveries, was missing. 

Philip promptly came to the rescue, saying: 
' ' I saw you put it behind you on the seat of the 
motor, yesterday, and it's probably there still. 
I '11 go to the garage and see. ' ' 

Betty gave Philip a grateful little smile, but 
insisted upon accompanying him on his search. 
They came upon the treasure just where it had 
been left, and soon rejoined the rest of the party 
in the cathedral close, where John was in the 
midst of taking some photographs. 

The first near view which they had of Can- 
terbury Cathedral was in approaching it from 
under old Christchurch G-ateway. In spite of 
its great age, the cathedral, in contrast with the 
much blackened gate-way, appears surprisingly 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 26 



J 



white and fair. The exterior is very beautiful ; 
the two towers are most majestic, and beyond, 
one sees the graceful Bell Tower, rising from 
the point where the transepts cross. In olden 
days, a gilded angel stood on the very top of 
the Bell Tower, and served as a beacon to 
the many pilgrims traveling toward Becket's 
shrine. 

Walking about inside the cathedral, they saw, 
behind the altar, the position of the once famous 
shrine. All that now remain to remind one that 
this ever existed are the pavement and steps, 
deeply worn by the feet of many generations of 
devout pilgrims. 

' ' I told you something of the splendor of this 
shrine," Mrs. Pitt suggested to them. " It was 
said that after his visit to it, Erasmus (the 
Dutch scholar and friend of Sir Thomas More, 
you know) in describing it, told how ' gold was 
the meanest (poorest) thing to be seen.' See, 
here is the tomb of Henry IV, the only king 
who is buried here, and there's the monument to 
the Black Prince. Above hang his gauntlets, 
helmet, coat, and shield. Do you see them, 
John? " 

The northwest transept, so say all guidebooks 



264 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

and vergers (and they certainly ouglit to be 
truthful), was the scene of the murder of the 
Archbishop a Becket. There is even a stone in 
the floor which marks the precise spot ; but, con- 
trary to her usual habit, Mrs. Pitt absolutely 
pointed out that all this is false. 

''I'm sorry, children," she said, '' but I must 
contradict this. Becket was killed at five o 'clock 
on a dreary December afternoon of 1170. Four 
years later, the cathedral was entirely destroyed 
by fire. Therefore, it is not possible that they 
can show visitors the exact spot where the 
tragedy took place. William of Sens came over 
from France, and in 1184, finished the building 
which we now see." 

" This nave," she continued, as they again 
entered it, '' is one of the longest in England, 
and the choir is several feet higher. Do you 
notice? It is an unusual feature. Also, the fact 
that the walls bend very gradually inward as 
they near the east end of the choir, is worthy of 
note. Here, as at St. Paul's and a number of 
other cathedrals, business was carried on, even 
during services, and pack-horses and mules went 
trailing through. It's curious to think of, isn't 
it?" 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 265 

Canterbury's cloisters are wonderfully an- 
cient. Blackened as they are by the centuries, 
and their still exquisite carvings broken, yet 
here, more than in the edifice itself, can 
one imagine the scene of Becket's terrible 
death. 

*' The residence of the Archbishop stood 
alongside the church," Mrs. Pitt proceeded, 
' ' and here the murderers came unarmed, upon 
their arrival in the town, to interview him. 
Becket was unmoved by their threats, so they 
left him to go and arm themselves. The en- 
treaties of the monks that their master should 
seek safety in the cathedral would have been 
of no avail had not the hour for evening service 
arrived. Can't you almost think how dark and 
cold these stones must have seemed on that win- 
ter afternoon, when Becket marched along with 
majestic deliberateness through these very clois- 
ters, in by that little door, and up to the altar. 
A feeling of dread and terror was everywhere. 
Most of the monks had fled to places of hiding, 
and the Archbishop found himself alone with 
his three or four faithful friends, whom he com- 
manded to unbolt the heavy church doors, which, 
in a panic, they had barred. No sooner had the 



266 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

armed men rushed in than the challenge came 
from Reginald Fitznrse, as Tennyson gives us 
the scene: 

' Where is the Archbishop, Thomas Becket? ' 

and Becket's brave answer: 

' Here. 
No traitor to the King, but Priest of God, 
Primate of England. I am he ye seek. 
What would ye have of me?' 

They responded, ' Your life ! ' and there im- 
mediately followed the horrible death. ' ' 

Mrs. Pitt drew a long breath and sighed. 

' ' Such were the deeds of those unenlightened 
days. These fierce Norman knights, wishing to 
gain favor in the eyes of the King, and hearing 
him say in a moment of anger, that he wished 
himself rid of the troublesome Archbishop, 
they at once proceeded to Canterbury and killed 
him. It was all the outcome of the continual 
strife and struggle for power, between the 
Church and the State. ' ' 

^' What did they do to those three Nor- 
mans? " demanded John indignantly. 

'' Nothing. I believe they went free. But 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 267 

Henry II himself tried to atone for the deed in 
doing penance by walking barefooted to Canter- 
bury and Becket's shrine. Come, let's go out- 
side now. ' ' 

They then wandered about the precincts of 
the cathedral, pausing by some lovely, ruined 
arches which tell of an ancient monastery. 
Everywhere stretch smooth lawns, with grand 
old trees, and here and there the houses of those 
connected with the church. Also, very close by 
stands the King's School, which was founded by 
Archbishop Theodore in the seventh century, 
' for the study of Greek,' and later refounded 
by Henry VIII. Here that famous Canter- 
bury boy, Christopher Marlowe, was edu- 
cated. The school is well worth a visit, if 
only to see the beautiful outside Norman 
stairway. 

Mrs. Pitt next led the way down Mercery 
Lane, at the corner of which stood The Chequers 
of Hope, the inn where Chaucer's pilgrims 
put up. 

' ' You remember the old gate by which we en- 
tered the town yesterday," said Mrs. Pitt. 
' * "Well, under that same arch came the pilgrims 
as they approached from London. Although 



268 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

the city-wall then boasted twenty-one towers and 
six gates, the West Gate is the only remaining 
bit. Here, at the inn which stood conveniently 
near the cathedral, the pilgrims stayed, and in 
Mercery Lane they bought their souvenirs, — 
probably rosaries or phials of Holy Water. At 
the further end of the Lane stood the ancient 
rush-market. Eushes were then in great de- 
mand, you recollect, for people used them to 
strew over their floors." 

One might stay on indefinitely in Canterbury, 
and still not discover all its treasures and inter- 
esting nooks and corners. The streets are nar- 
row, crooked, and contain many very old houses. 
There is at Canterbury a castle; one may see 
the ruins of St. John's Hospital, and of St. 
Sepulchre's Nunnery, where Elizabeth Barton, 
the " Holy Maid of Kent,", once lived; the old 
gate of St. Augustine's Monastery still stands, 
though it is now restored; by exploring, traces 
of the city- wall may be found, and the weavers ' 
houses which hang over the little river offer a 
delightful view. Interest is endless in Canter- 
bury. But as it is impossible to see it all, espe- 
cially in limited time, the visitor usually seeks 
out the best known and most famous places ; and 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 269 

surely, after the great cathedral itself, ranks St. 
Martin's Church. 

A little way out of the town, and up against a 
sunny hillside, is this tiny " Mother Church of 
England." Imbedded in the rough stone of 
the square, Norman tower are the huge stems 
of giant vines. Altogether, a more primitive, 
ancient appearing building cannot well be 
imagined. 

" Well," remarked Betty impressively, '' this 
is the very oldest place we've been in yet. 
It makes me feel as Stonehenge did, some- 
how. ' ' 

" Yes, that's true," assented Mrs. Pitt. 
' ' The two places do give you similar sensations. 
It's simply that you feel the age. I've always 
thought that if I were suddenly blindfolded, car- 
ried away, and set down in St. Martin's Church 
at Canterbury, that I should know where I was 
just from the atmosphere, which is so heavy 
with the weight of the years." 

It is claimed for St. Martin's that it is the 
most ancient church in all England, a land 
filled with ancient churches. It is in the vicinity 
of sixteen hundred years old, for Bede states 
that it was built while the Eomans were still in 



270 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

possession, and certain it is that numerous Ko- 
man bricks may be seen to this day in the outer 
wall. The church was perhaps erected for the 
use of Queen Bertha, whose husband, Ethelbert, 
King of Kent, was also converted to Christian- 
ity, and baptized here. After the arrival of St. 
Augustine, it is believed that he and his follow- 
ers came here to worship. Inside, the little 
church is a curious conglomeration of different 
styles of architecture; here a Eoman doorway, 
there a Norman, and here an ancient Saxon 
arch. Some of the relics in the church are the 
Saxon font, built of twenty-two separate stones, 
a tomb which has been called that of Queen 
Bertha, and two Elizabethan brasses. The 
party found a most excellent and intelligent 
guide, a woman, who showed them the vessel 
which held the Holy Oil (a very valuable thing), 
and the " leper's squint," a slit in the wall to 
which the unfortunate sick men were allowed 
to come and listen to the service. 

" That's something like the ' nun's squint ' 
at St. Helen's Church in the city," observed 
Barbara. 

On the way back to their hotel, John and 
Philip strayed into the old Guildhall which con- 



ROCHESTER AND CANTERBURY 271 

tains some portraits, which failed to impress the 
boys, however. 

'' S'pose they were old Mayors or some such 
fellows, ' ' said John, when questioned as to what 
he saw. " Couldn't bear 'em, with their bright 
velvet clothes and high ruffs. I'm glad I didn't 
live tlien ! Excuse me from ruffs ! " 

" If the important men of the town wore such 
gay and frivolous attire, they had to pay for it 
surely," Mrs. Pitt added. '' Last night I was 
reading that in the records of Canterbury for 
the year 1556, the Mayor was required to pro- 
vide for his wife every year, before Christmas, 
a scarlet gown and a bonnet of velvet. That 
was enforced by law! Fancy! The women 
may have had a hand in that, for they very 
naturally wanted to make sure not to be out- 
done by the men in the point of fine clothes." 

As the automobile again passed under the 
West Gate, on its way back to London, Betty 
turned to Mrs. Pitt, and said in her quiet little 
way: 

*' I think you were right in what you said 
when we were at Salisbury. I think, too, that's 
the most beautiful of all the cathedrals I've seen. 
But Canterbury, both the town and church, is 



272 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

very, very interesting. I like the stories about 
Becket and the pilgrims, too. I'd like to come 
again some day. Please take hold of my hand, 
John; I want to stand up a minute and watch 
that dear Bell Tower as long as I can." 



CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 

GOOD-BY TO LONDON 

*' A WERE for you, Master John." 

The butler's interruption while the family 
was at breakfast one August morning, caused a 
sudden hush of expectancy. 

* * A telegram for me ! ' ' replied John, trying 
to assume suiBficient dignity for the momentous 
occasion, — the arrival of the first message he 
had ever received. " Why, what can it bef " 

** Do open it, John. It must be a cable," 
Betty pleaded, fearing something might be 
wrong at home. 

*' Yes, hurry, dear," put in Mrs. Pitt. 

Just the second that the contents were re- 
vealed, a great shout of joy went up, and John 
and Betty fairly jumped up and down in their 
excitement. 

** Father and mother coming! " John cried. 
* ' On the way now ! Taking us to Switzerland ! 
It's great! " 

273 



274 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Betty's radiant face showed what delight the 
prospect of seeing her father and mother gave 
her. Glancing at Mrs. Pitt almost at once, how- 
ever, she hastened to say: 

" We're both sorry to go away from you all, 
though, and I hope they'll let us come back. 
We've had such a good time in England ! Don't 
you think we can go on with our trip here after 
Switzerland? " 

*' I really can't tell, dear, for this is all so 
unexpected. I don't know what your father's 
plans may be, but I hope he will bring you back 
to me. I'd be very sorry if it were all at an end ! 
But to think I shall so soon see your father! " 
Mrs. Pitt sat staring into the grate, and seemed 
to be lost in her thoughts. 

After the general commotion caused by the 
news had somewhat subsided, and they had all 
adjusted themselves to the new plans, Mrs. Pitt 
decided to spend the remaining week in the city, 
as she had still so much there to show John and 
Betty. The weather being quite cool and com- 
fortable, they could easily go about. 

It happened that two events of those busy 
days made an everlasting impression on the 
minds of both John and Betty. First, there 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 275 

was their glimpse of the King and Queen; and 
then, there was the fire. 

As they emerged at about noon one day from 
the National Gallery, where Mrs. Pitt had been 
showing them some of the best pictures, Philip 
heard some one on the steps of the building say 
that the King and Queen had come to town to be 
present at the unveiling of a statue. They were 
soon to pass through St, James Park on their 
way from Whitehall, it was understood, and our 
friends at once hastened in that direction. For 
some time they waited with the crowd, and it 
was not exactly agreeable, for the day was damp 
and foggy, and a fine rain had set in. All the 
while, John was getting more and more aroused, 
and when he finally saw a small company of the 
Horse Guards, he so forgot himself as to 
shout : 

' ' Hurrah ! Here they come ! " 

Because of the rain, the Guards, wearing their 
blue capes lined with scarlet, were rather less 
picturesque than usual, but the black horses 
were as fine as ever. 

a They step as if they were proud of going 
along with the King and Queen, ' ' Betty said in 
a loud whisper to Barbara. 



276 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Between two small squadrons of the Guards 
came a modest closed carriage in which Their 
Majesties rode. Fortunately for the young vis- 
itors, they both kept bending forward and bow- 
ing very graciously from the windows, so that 
they could be distinctly seen. The sober British 
crowd was characteristically well-behaved. No 
demonstration of any sort was given the Eoy- 
alties, except that the men removed their hats. 
Swiftly the carriage rolled up the wide avenue 
toward Buckingham Palace. 

' ' Humph ! They don 't make much fuss about 
it, do they? " was all John said, while Betty was 
especially impressed by how very much the King 
and Queen resembled their photographs. 

The following morning an interesting trip to 
Smithfield was taken. Going by the " Tube," 
the ride seemed a short one, and they soon found 
themselves at Smithfield Market. 

' ' Have you ever seen Faneuil Hall Market in 
Boston? " demanded Mrs. Pitt laughingly, 
whereupon John and Betty, the two Bostonians, 
were rather ashamed to admit that they had not. 

** Somehow we never have time at home," 
was Betty's remark. " And I think perhaps 
we never really wanted to very much, either." 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 277 

*' Well, you wouldn't understand why, then, 
but it always reminded me of this great Smith- 
field Market," went on Mrs. Pitt and then added 
a bit boastfully, " I've been to Faneuil Hall sev- 
eral times." 

"What they saw was a large, lofty building, 
with a roof of glass and iron, equipped as a 
most thoroughly up-to-date meat-market. A 
street runs directly through the center, and from 
this, one can get a splendid idea of both halves. 

' ' This great barren square of Smithfield was 
the place where they had the tournaments in the 
olden days, and because of that, the name was 
probably once ' Smooth-field.' Edward III held 
a brilliant tournament here, and also Eichard 
n, who invited many foreign guests to be pres- 
ent for that important event. The processions 
which preceded, as well as the tournaments 
themselves, were most elaborate. One old 
writer fairly dazzles us by his description of 
' sixty horses in rich trappings, each mounted 
by an esquire of honor, — and sixty ladies of 
rank, dressed in the richest elegance of the day 
following on their palfreys, each leading by a 
silver chain a knight completely armed for tilt- 
ing. Minstrels and trumpets accompanied them 



278 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

to SmitMeld amidst the shouting population: 
there the Queen and her fair train received 
them.' Then this same author tells at much 
length of the commencing of the tournament, 
and says ' they tilted each other until dark. 
They all then adjourned to a sumptuous ban- 
quet, and dancing consumed the night.' For 
several days and nights this same performance 
was repeated. That gives you a slight idea of 
the aspect Smithfield bore in the days when it 
was far outside the limits of the ' City.' " 

After pausing a few minutes in her talk, while 
they walked about the square, Mrs. Pitt pro- 
ceeded : 

^' In 1381, after the peasant uprising, the 
leader, Wat Tyler, was killed here. And then, 
in the reigns of ' Bloody Mary ' and of Eliza- 
beth, this was the place of public execution. 
Way back in 1305, the patriot William Wallace 
was hanged here, and after him came a long 
line of sufferers, — among them Anne Askew, 
Eogers, Bradford, and Philpot, who were per- 
secuted because of their adherence to the 
Protestant Eeligion. After that terrible period, 
Smithfield was for many years the only cattle- 
market in London ; and here was held Bartholo- 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 279 

mew Fair, also. Don't you agree that this 
square has had about as varied a history as is 
very well possible? " 

The church of St. Bartholomew the Great, one 
of the oldest and most interesting in London, is 
reached from Smithfield by an inconspicuous 
arch, which leads to a narrow walk close beside 
brick walls. At the further end is the fagade 
of the church, which boasts of having been 
erected in 1123, by Eahere, who also founded the 
neighboring Hospital of St. Bartholomew. 

Once inside the doorway, the visiter feels as 
though he had actually stepped back many cen- 
turies, for, as Baedeker says, " the existing 
church, consisting merely of the choir, the cross- 
ing, and one bay of the nave of the original 
Priory Church, is mainly pure Norman work, as 
left by Eahere." Here again, the visitor en- 
counters that strange atmosphere which belongs 
to the place pervaded by great age. 

" You see," explained Mrs. Pitt, " the church 
which we see is only a very small part of the 
original edifice as Eahere built it. The en- 
trance from Smithfield was probably the door 
to the nave, which was where the grave-yard 
now stands. It's curious, isn't it, how the cen- 



28o JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

turies alter things! Now, step over here, out 
of the way of the door, and let me tell you a bit 
about this old church and its founder. This 
Eahere was the King's jester, who came to see 
the error of his ways, grew very religious, and 
went on a pilgrimage. While on his journey 
back, he became seriously ill, and turned to St. 
Bartholomew for healing, promising to build a 
hospital for poor men if his petition were 
granted. He was cured, and on his return to 
London, he built the hospital and also this 
church, in which he is himself buried." 

They were all delighted with this story, and 
went immediately to find Eahere 's tomb, of 
which the ancient effigy is covered by a fine can- 
opy of much later date. One other tomb is that 
of Sir Walter Mildmay, who was Chancellor of 
the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth, and founder 
of Emmanuel College, Oxford. John discovered 
the following quaint epitaph, which greatly 
amused the entire party: 

" Shee first deceased, Hee for a little Tryd, 
To live without her, likd it not, and dyd." 

This adorns the tomb of John and Margaret 
Whiting, in the north transept. 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 281 

Some time was passed in this wonderful 
church, — climbing the tiny, spiral stairs up to 
the clerestory, and going cautiously along the 
bit of a walk at this dizzy height above the 
floor of the church. 

It needs time and much study to appreciate 
this sad old church, which, in spite of its broken 
pieces of marble, and ruined splendor and per- 
fection of form, still bravely stands, — a lonely 
and pathetic relic of its grand past. A young 
person can scarcely understand it at all ; it needs 
a grown man or woman whose experience en- 
ables him to read in the crumbling pillars and 
walls, stories of the times when England was 
young, the Church was the great glory and 
power, and there still lived men who were * ' fair 
and fortunate. ' ' 

In the vicinity of Smithfield are a number of 
quaint nooks and corners of old London. Many 
consider that the very best idea of the ancient 
city may now be had in Cloth Fair and Bartholo- 
mew Close, both of which are in this neighbor- 
hood. Here are still standing genuine Six- 
teenth Century houses amid much darkness and 
dirt. 

" Here in Bartholomew Close," stated Mrs. 



282 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Pitt, '' Benjamin Franklin learned his trade of 
printing, and Wasliington Irving, John Milton, 
and the painter Hogarth, all lived." 

From Smithfield they hastily betook them- 
selves, by means of hansoms, to Crosby Hall, 
there to have luncheon. Mrs. Pitt laughed 
heartily when John said how glad he was to be 
able to eat amid ancient surroundings. He de- 
clared that he had been spending the entire 
morning so very far back in the Middle Ages, 
that it would have been too great a shock had 
he been taken immediately to a vulgar, modern 
restaurant. 

When they had finished their luncheon and 
were waiting on a street corner for the arrival 
of a certain bus, suddenly a thrill of excitement 
went through the crowd, all traffic was quickly 
drawn up at the sides of the street where it 
halted, and a weird cry of ' ' Hi-yi-yi-yi-yi ' ' was 
heard in the distance. 

" It's the fire-brigade," cried Philip, where- 
upon he and John were tense with antici- 
pation. 

Down the cleared street came the galloping 
horses with the fire-engines, the men clinging 
to them wearing dark-blue uniforms with red 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 283 

bindings, big brass helmets, wMch gleamed in 
the sunshine, and hatchets in their belts. 

It happened that the fire was very near where 
our friends were standing, so at the eager solici- 
tations of the two boys, Mrs. Pitt consented to 
follow on and watch operations. 

' ' So it really is a fire this time, ' ' she said to 
Betty, as they hurried along. ' ' We have very, 
very few in London, and when the brigade is 
out, it is generally only for exercise or practice. 
But, it will interest you and John to see how we 
fight a fire, and to observe whether the methods 
differ from yours. ' ' 

A building on Bishopsgate Street was really 
very much on fire when the party reached the 
spot, and the firemen were hard at work. Al- 
though the buildings are not high (or at least 
not according to American standards), the men 
use very strong ladders, which can be pulled out 
so that they will reach to great heights. But 
the queerest thing of all in John's estimation 
was the way in which the people on the top floor 
of the building were rescued. 

A long canvas tube was carried up a ladder 
by a fireman, who attached it to the frame of an 
upper window. The occupants of that floor 



284 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

were then slid one by one to the ground through 
this tube, being caught at the bottom by the 
firemen. 

" Well, did you ever see anything like that ! '* 
cried John, amazed at the funny sight. '' It's 
great, I say ! I'd like to try it ! " 

All the way up town, the talk was of fires. 
John had been tremendously interested in the 
English methods, and was planning to introduce 
the use of the canvas tube to his own city 
through a good Irish friend of his at a Boston 
fire- station. 

" Honor bright, don't you have many fires 
over here? " he demanded of Mrs. Pitt. '' We 
have 'em all the time at home. It must be 
stupid here without 'em ! ' ' 

^' No, we really have very few," Mrs. Pitt re- 
sponded. " In winter, there are a number of 
small outbreaks, but those are very slight. You 
see, we bum soft coal, and if the chimney is not 
swept out quite regularly, the soot which gathers 
there is apt to get afire. When a chimney does 
have a blaze, the owner has to pay a fine of one 
pound, or five dollars, to make him remember 
his chimney. In olden times, perhaps two hun- 
dred and fifty years ago, there used to be a tax 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 285 

levied on every chimney in a house. There's a 
curious old epitaph in a church-yard at Folke- 
stone, which hears upon this subject. It reads 
something like this : 

*A house she hath, 'tis made in such good fashion. 
That tenant n'ere shall pay for reparation. 
Nor will her landlord ever raise her rent. 
Nor turn her out-of-doors for non-payment, 
From chimney-money too, this house is free. 
Of such a house who would not tenant be.' " 

They all joined in a good laugh over this, but 
Betty remarked that she thought it was ' ' more 
of an advertisement for a house than an 
epitaph. ' ' 

Their particular bus had been slowly making 
its way down Ludgate Hill, along Fleet Street, 
into the Strand, through Trafalgar Square and 
Piccadilly Circus, into Piccadilly itself, and had 
now reached Hyde Park Comer, where our 
friends climbed down the stairs and swung 
themselves off. 

Betty was grumbling just a little. '' I never 
can get down those tiny stairs, ' ' she exclaimed, 
*' without almost bumping my head and catch- 
ing my umbrella in the stair-rail ! ' ' 



286 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

Mrs. Pitt smiled. ^' That shows you are not 
a true Londoner, my dear. We are never 
troubled. But, never mind; they don't have 
buses in Switzerland." 

At this, Betty was instantly herself again. 
" London wouldn't be London without the 
funny, inconvenient buses, I know. And it's 
dear, every inch of it, — ^buses and all! " 

Mrs. Pitt pointed out Apsley House, where 
lived the great Duke of Wellington. A curious 
fact about this stately old mansion is that on fine 
afternoons, the shadow of a nearby statue of 
this hero is thrown full upon the front of his 
former home. 

As they were about to enter Hyde Park 
through the imposing gate, Mrs. Pitt said : — 

' ' When we stand here and gaze at this scene 
before us, — the crowd, beautiful park, fine ho- 
tels, houses, and shops, — it is hard to realize 
that this was a dangerous, remote district as re- 
cently as 1815. That was the time of many 
daring robberies, you know, when it was not safe 
walking, riding, or even traveling in a big 
coach, because of the highwaymen. Even so 
late as the year I just mentioned, this vicinity 
from Hyde Park to Kensington was patrolled, 




H 5, 



GOOD-BY TO LONDON 287 

and people went about in companies so as to be 
comparatively secure." 

The remainder of that lovely afternoon was 
spent in Hyde Park, watching the riding and 
driving. Having paid the fee of threepence 
each for the use of their chairs, it was pleasant 
to sit and look on at the gay sight. Old gentle- 
men, stout ladies, young people, and small chil- 
dren, all ride in England, and at certain times 
of the day, during '^ the season " (May and 
June), Hyde Park is always filled with a merry 
company. In midsummer it is rather more 
deserted, and yet the walks stretching between 
the flower-beds, and the Serpentine stream, are 
always flocking with people on summer Sundays 
or ' ' bank holidays. ' ' 

And so passed the last days which John and 
Betty spent in London. All the favorite spots 
— ^Westminster Abbey, the Tower, Kensington 
Palace, and many others — ^had to be revisited, 
just as though the young people never thought 
to see them again; and then, at last came the 
day when the father and mother were expected. 
They all trooped to Euston Station to meet the 
train, and in triumph escorted the American 
friends back to Cavendish Square. There they 



288 JOHN AND BETTY'S HISTORY VISIT 

remained for two short days and then carried 
the almost reluctant John and Betty away with 
them. Mrs. Pitt, Philip, and Barbara remained 
behind on the platform, waving a last good-by, 
and still hearing the many thanks and ex- 
pressions of gratitude which John and Betty 
had repeatedly poured into their ears, in return 
for their delightful visit to England. 



THE END. 



INDEX 



Addison, Joseph, 136 

Alfred the Great, 222, 227, 229 

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 223, 

227 
Anne of Cleves, 255, 257 
Anne, Queen, 70, 112, 114 
Arden, Forest of, 158, 169, 202 
" As You Like It," 157 
Austen, Jane, 226 

Bankside, 90 

Bartholomew Close, 281 

Bear-baiting, 90 

Beeket, St. Thomas a, 254, 

264 
Bell Inn, Edmonton, 118 
" Big Ben," 107 
Blackheath, 256 
Black Prince, Edward the, 

120, 263 
Boleyn, Anne, 61, 103, 128, 136 
" Bow Bells," 17, 118 
Bunyan, John, 89 
Bus-drivers, 16 
Buses, 11 

Cambridge, 91 
Canterbury, 261 
Cathedral, 262 
Chequers of Hope Inn, 

267 
Cloisters of Cathedral, 

265 
Pilgrims, 90, 252, 267 
Shrine of St. Thomas h 

Beeket, 263 
St. Martin's Church, 269 
Tales, 253 
Carlyle, Thomas, 124 



Caroline, Queen, 129 

Chalfont St. Giles, 105 

Charing Cross, 67 

Charlecote, 167 
Park, 167 

Charles I, 100, 102 

Charles II, 114, 257 

Chatsworth House, 216 

Chaucer, Geoffrey, 28, 112, 
120, 252 

Cheshire Cheese, 78 

Clopton, Sir Hugh, 148 

Cloth Fair, 281 

Clovelly, 238 
Court, 248 
Hobby Drive, 248 

Cockney, 16 

Coventry, 200 

Ford's Hospital, 201 
" Peeping Tom," 200 
St. Mary's Hall, 200 

Cromwell, Oliver, 109, 136, 
186, 198 

Crosby Hall, 115 

" Deans, Jeanie," 129 
Deptford, 254 
Devonshire, 238 

Cream, 243 

Legends of, 245 
Dickens, Charles, 28, 257 
Doomsday Book, 121 
Drake, Sir Francis, 249, 255 
Druids, 235 

Edward I, 67, 113 

III, 99, 113, 277 

the Confessor, 112 
Elizabeth, Queen, 52, 60, 69, 



289 



290 



INDEX 



102, 112, 114, 129, 136, 169, 

171, 197, 220, 255 
Essex, Earl of, 61, 124 
Eton School, 98 
Evans, Mary Ann (George 

Eliot), 124 

Fawkes, Guy, 58, 120 
Fire Brigade, 282 
Fountains Abbey, 208 
Franklin, Benjamin, 282 

Gastrell, Rev. Francis, 148 
George III, 56, 126 
Gilpin, John, 118 
Globe Theatre, 90 
Gray, Thomas, 96 
Greville, Fulke, 192 
Grey, Lady Jane, 61, 120 
Gunpov7der Plot, 58 

Haddon Hall, 216 
Hampton Court, 130 
Harvard, John, 90, 146 
Hathaway, Anne, 153, 157, 162 
Henrietta Maria, Queen, 129 
Henry II, 267 

IV, 59, 263 

V, 104, 113, 257 

VII, Chapel of. 111 

VIII, 100, 124, 128, 131, 
257 259 

Hogarth, William, 282 

Holbein, Hans, 89, 133 

Holy Trinity Church, Strat- 
ford, 152 

Horse Guards, 21, 275 

Houses of Parliament, 13, 107, 
123 

Howard, Queen Catharine, 
133, 136 

Hyde Park Corner, 16, 285 

Irving, Washington, 161, 282 

James I of Scotland, 104 
Jerusalem Chamber, 35 

Kenilworth Castle, 196 



Kew Gardens, 125 

Palace, 126 
Kingsley, Charles, 248 

Lambeth Palace, 123 

Leamington, 182 

Leicester, Earl of, 59, 135, 

171, 191, 198 
"Little John," 206 
Lollards, 124 
London Bridge, 87 

Mansfield, 203 

Marlowe, Christopher, 255, 

267 
Mary, Queen, 76, 226 

Queen of Scots, 112 
" Midsummer Night's Dream," 

157 
Milton, John, 105, 282 
Miracle Plays, 200 
More, Sir Thomas, 53, 62, 89, 

115, 124 

National Gallery, 13, 275 
Nelson, Lord, 13, 74, 114 
Nottingham, 204, 214 

Oxford, 18, 92 

Paternoster Row, 118 

Pembroke, Countess of, 48, 115 

Penshurst Place, 42 

Pepys, Samuel, 259 

" Pickwick Papers," 258 

Pitt, William, 26, 114 

Pope, Alexander, 136 

Prentices, 22 

" Princes, the Little," 54 

Public Record Office, 119 

Rahere, 279 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, 63, 120 

Richard I, 211 

n, 59, 113, 277 

in, 115 
Richmond Palace, 129 

Park, 128 
Robin Hood, 203 



INDEX 



291 



Robsart, Amy, 182, 194 
Rochester, 258 

Bull Inn, 258 

Crown Inn, 259 

Falstaff Inn, 260 

Gad's Hill, 260 

Restoration House, 259 

White Hart Inn, 259 
Round Table, the, 228 

St. Augustine, 270 

Bartholomew the Great, 

Church of, 279 
Cross Hospital, 230 
Helen's Church, 116 
Mary Overy, Southwark, 

88 
Paul's Cathedral, 69 
Swithin, 223, 226 

Salisbury Cathedral, 232 

Sarum, Old, 234 

Scott, Sir Walter, 196 

Shakespeare, William, 28, 90, 
117, 140, 169 

Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 99 

Shooter's Hill, 257 

Shottery, 163 

Sidney, Sir Philip, 41, 73, 120 

Smithfield, 276 
Market, 276 

Southwark, 90, 252 
Cathedral, 88 
Tabard Inn, 90, 252 

Spenser, Edmund, 28, 49 

Star and Garter Inn, Rich- 
mond, 127 

Stoke Poges, 96 

Stonehenge, 234 

Stoneleigh Abbey, 201 

Stone of Scone, 113 

Stratford-on-Avon, 138 
the " Birthplace," 140 
Grammar School, 151 
Guild Chapel, 150 
Holy Trinity Church, 152 
John Harvard House, 146 
New Place, 147 



Red Horse Hotel, 138 
Shakespeare Hotel, 145 
Shakespeare Memorial, 155 
Weir Brake, 156 

Streets in London, names of, 
119 

Swift, Dean, 136 

Tabard Inn, 90, 252 
"Tale of Two Cities," 257 
Thames River, the, 122 
Tower of London, 50 
Trafalgar Square, 13, 21 
Tyler, Wat, 278 

Vauxhall, 124 
Vernon, Dorothy, 217 

Wallace, William, 278 
Walpole, Horace, 136 
Warwick Castle, 183 

Guy of, 184, 195 

Guy's Cliff, 194 

Leicester's Hospital, 192 

St. Mary's Church, 190 

" The King-maker," 184 

Vase, 187 
Warwickshire, 167 
Weir Brake, Stratford, 156 
Wellington, Duke of, 74, 286 
Westminster Abbey, 20 

Chapter House, 34 

Cloisters, 30 

Hall, 108 

School, 32 
"Westward Ho!" 248 
White Lodge, 129 
William and Mary, 112, 114 
William III, 134 

Rufus, 108, 226 
Winchester, 222 

Cathedral, 224 

County Court, 228 

Hospital of St. Cross, 230 
Windsor Castle, 99, 128 
"Winter's Tale," 162 
Wolsey, Cardinal, 120, 130 



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A capital story of American life. 



;^r sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publisheiSi 

LOTHROP. LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



George Gary Eggleston's 
Juveniles 

The Bale Marked Circle X 

A Blockade Running Adventure 

Iliustrated by C Chase Emerson, J2mo, red clotlw illustrated 
cover, $t.50« 
Another of Mr. Eggleston's stirring books for youth. In 
it are told the adventures of three boy soldiers in the Con- 
federate Service vsrho are sent in a sloop on a secret voyage 
from Charleston to the Bahamas, conveying a strange bale of 
cotton which holds important documents. The boys pass 
through starthng adventures : they run the blockade, suffer 
shipwreck, and finally reach their destination after the 
pluckiest kind of effort. 

Camp Venture 

A Story of the Virginia Mountains 

Illttstrated by W. A* McCulIough. I2mo, dark red clotb, 
illustrated cover> $U50. 
The LouisTnlle Courier JourTtal says : " George Gary Eggles- 
ton has written a decidedly good tale of pluck and adventure 
in * Camp Venture.' It will be of interest to young and old 
who enjoy an exciting story, but there is also a great deal of 
instruction and information in the book." 

The Last of the Flatboats 

A Story of the Mississippi 

Illustrated by Cbatlotte Harding. )2mo, green doth, illustrated 
cover, $1.50, 

The Brooklyn Eagls says : " Mr. George Gary Eggleston, 
the veteran editor and author, has scored a double success in 
his new book, 'The Last of the Flatboats,' which has just 
been pubhshed. Written primarily as a story for young 
readers, it contains many things that are of interest to older 
people. Altogether, it is a mighty good story, and well 
worth reading." 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Boston 



VouMG Defemder Series 



By ELBRIDGE S. BROOKS 



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IN DEFENCE OF THE FLAG 

A Boy's Adventures in Spain and Cuba in the 
War of 1898 

Illustrated by W. F. Stecher i2mo Cloth $1.25 

A STORY of action and adventure such as all 
healthy boys like, telling of a plucky young 
American who defended his country's flag against 
mobs in Spain and foemen in Cuba, and had many 
'thrilling experiences. 

" Suffice it to say that he will be a lucky boy, with many a ti^rill before him, 
who finds this book in his Christmas stocking. Don is a hero after every boy's 
heart." — Boston Herald. 

WITH LAWTON AND ROBERTS 
A Boy's Adventures in the Philippines and the Transvaal 

Illustrated by C. Chase Emerson i2mo Cloth $1.25 

THE stirring adventures of a manly American boy who follows Lawton 
in his last campaigns, and by a singular train of circumstances has 
"moving accidents by flood and field, "in two wars, with American soldiers, 
Filipino insurrectos, Malay pirates, English troopers, and Boer burghers. 
" Mr. Brooks presents vivid pictures of both wars, so widely separated. His 
pages are full of tne swift-moving incidents which boys love. Dull indeed must 
6e the young reader whose interest flags," — Boston Journal. 

UNDER THE ALLIED FLAGS 

A Boy's Adventures in China During the Boxer 
Revolt 

Illustrated by W. F. Stecher i2mo Cloth $1.25 

THE stirring story of an American boy's adventures in 
Tien Tsin and Pekin, in the ranks of the Interna- 
tional troops and as one of the defenders of the be- 
leaguered legations. Up-to-date, absorbing, and full of 
healthy excitement. Characters who are in the stories 
" With Lawton and Roberts " and '• In Defence of the 
Flag ' ' reappear in this story. 

" Men and women, boys and girls, of all the mingled nationalities that made 
this war in China so picturesque, appear in the story and give it vigor, variety, and 
unflagging interest." — Cleveland World. 




For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
by the publishers, 

LOTHROP. LEE & SHEPARD CO.. BOSTON 



mM 28 \m 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



LIBRARY 



